Life's Full of Changes
by Jayta
Summary: CHAPTER 47! As far as surprises go, not so super. Caitlin
1. Chapter One

Spoilers: After Caitlin and Eric passed out fliers about his neighbor's land poisoning  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of Nickelodeon.  
  
1 Chapter One  
  
"Caitlin!" Eric shouted down the school corridor. "Hey, I just want to thank you for helping with the flyers again."  
  
They stopped in the middle of the hallway. Eric was out of breath. He hadn't felt like he was worth anything since talking with his father about what happened with the cattle. But then Caitlin came up with this great idea, and it worked. One of her ideas actually worked.  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Look, I just wanted to help in any way I could. And I could help by taking pictures. It's what I'm good at!"  
  
"Yeah," he agreed. "I can't believe that the Mayor finally agreed to hear us out and is cleaning it up."  
  
They began to walk down the hallway.  
  
Caitlin's face turned serious for a moment. "Eric?"  
  
"Yeah," he smiled.  
  
"Um, has your dad gotten back yet?"  
  
Eric's face also turned serious. "Yeah. He got back a couple of days ago." They stopped in front of their Chem class.  
  
"Well…" her voice trailed.  
  
"He's still freaked out about it all. I mean, he's still mad at me." Eric ran his hand through his hair. "But he's heard of what we did with the flyers and everything and he's not as mad. I could've sworn he was ready to kill me when I told him over the phone."  
  
The bell rang signalling the start of the next class.  
  
Eric motioned with his head into the classroom. "We'd better get going. I can't have to make up another detention."  
  
"Well, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't stuck that frog on my head."  
  
"What can I say, I love the animals!" he laughed.  
  
***  
  
Caitlin sat through Chem 20 relieved to hear that Eric's dad wasn't as mad at him as she knew he might be. In some way, she felt responsible for it. Not that she was to blame or anything like that, but as Eric's friend? 'Where did that come from?' she thought to herself.  
  
Eric was definitely never considered a friend! She'd hated him with a passion. He was sooo idiotic and immature sometimes. But lately she seemed to be able to stand him a little more. Eric seemed a little more human to her these days.  
  
The class bell rang waking Caitlin out of her thoughts. 'Yes! School's out!' She'd been waiting for the day's end from the start of school. Caitlin headed towards her locker. She had planning to ride Bandit and take a few shots down by the river. Caitlin had been slowly building her portfolio of pictures. Hopefully, Caitlin would have enough to take a GenX street magazine that she'd seen passed out lately.  
  
"Caitlin!" a familiar voice called out to her, sending a shiver down her spine.  
  
Turning around, she found herself face to face with Will. His eyes could make her knees turn to butter.  
  
"Yeah?" she said non-chalantly.  
  
"Hey," he smiled crookedly, "I was thinking you'd like to go riding with me after school."  
  
'Yes!' she wanted to scream. "Uh, sure," she replied. 'That's it. Keep it cool.'  
  
He smiled that heart-warming smile and said smoothly, "Great! I'll meet you in front of the ranch?"  
  
"Sure." Caitlin turned to grab her stuff from her locker and smiled to herself.  
  
***  
  
~ Please review this fic. It's my first Caitlin's Way fanfic. I hope you guys enjoy it! ~ 


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine…darnit!  
  
Pairings: C/E  
  
1 Chapter Two  
  
As Caitlin got off the bus, she was happy as a clam. Even the stupid little elementary school boys couldn't ruin her day. Caitlin had gotten ready early and was now saddling Bandit up.  
  
"Caitlin?" Jim's voice called.  
  
"Uh oh, what now?" she groaned.  
  
"Caitlin," Jim called, as he walked to Bandit's stall. "I want to talk to you."  
  
"Yeah, what about Jim?" she said upbeat. Caitlin prayed it be about something good.  
  
"Dori and I have been looking at your grades lately and they've been slipping," he said cautiously.  
  
"Jim, I've never been an A+ student!" she sighed.  
  
"I know you haven't. And we see that you've been doing really great in your English classes and Art classes. We just think you need to put the same amount of effort into Algebra and Trig as you put into the classes you like," he explained.  
  
"Caitlin!" Will called, walking into the stable. "I've been waiting for you for 10 minutes. Are we going riding or what?"  
  
Jim looked sternly at Will. Caitlin groaned inwardly. She knew Jim didn't quite like Will in the first place, and now he's interrupting Jim in a lecture. 'Not good,' thought Caitlin.  
  
"Do you mind Will? Caitlin and I are in the middle of a discussion."  
  
Will put up his hands as a sign that he was backing off. "Whatever you say, Sheriff," he said snidely.  
  
'Oh boy! Here it comes,' Caitlin grimaced.  
  
"I seriously don't know why you like that boy," Jim commented as he watched Will walk towards Sinbad.  
  
"Jim, come on!"  
  
"I'm serious, Caitlin, I don't like it that you're seeing so much of him. He's not a good influence on you."  
  
Caitlin's temper flared, "What right do you have to tell me who I can and cannot see?" She led Bandit out of the stall and headed towards Will.  
  
"Caitlin, don't walk out on me!" he yelled.  
  
Caitlin gritted her teeth. She hated it when people told her what to do. It was like she was some puppet people thought they could control. Caitlin shook her head. She knew that Dori and Jim weren't like that, they'd been through so much and Caitlin knew better than to think of them like that. But part of her cringed at the way they ordered her around so much.  
  
'I guess I've been a loner to long to break the habit so fast,' she thought to herself.  
  
Will flashed his million-dollar smile and climbed onto Sinbad. "I thought you'd never ditch the old man!" he laughed.  
  
I just smirked. "Jim isn't an old man Will. Besides, you didn't have to goad him like that!"  
  
Will just shrugged like he always does when I talk about some subject he couldn't care less about. "Let's go riding already!"  
  
Caitlin just smiled as she buckled her riding helmet on and headed towards the already galloping Will. "Hey, wait up!"  
  
***  
  
"Au sooo do mio!!!" Eric sang as he continued to punch the floury dough mix. He had flour smeared all over his face. It was a good thing he had an apron, or his entire shirt would have been white too.  
  
Griffin continued to turn out the already long noodle that they were making. "We're going to do it, ya know?" he said excitedly.  
  
"Dude I know!" Eric chuckled.  
  
Griffin had thought this crazy scheme to get into the Guinness book of Records would get Eric's mind off his dad and out of the ranch. "Hey, I'll call the tv station. They'll sooo want a piece of this!" he said excitedly.  
  
"Yeah! Hey I need more flour!" Eric cried.  
  
As Eric continued to throw flour around the kitchen, Griffin watched Caitlin stroll in with an annoyed look on her face.  
  
"What are…you guys doing?" she asked.  
  
"We're making the longest noodle ever!" Eric yelled.  
  
Griffin was distracted by one of the producers of the tv station. "Hey," he exclaimed. "They said they would send a camera crew by the house when we get past the record!"  
  
Griffin couldn't believe it! They would get on tv! They just needed to be very careful not to break the noodle.  
  
"How long is the longest noodle?" Eric asked.  
  
"168 feet," Griffin replied as the researchers of the station. "How long to we have to go?"  
  
"About 60 feet, give or take a few!" Eric laughed evilly.  
  
"You guys are insane. Do you guys have nothing else to do with your time?" Caitlin chided.  
  
"Hey, we're going to be on tv!" Eric laughed, trying to shift his eyebrows up and down like a Marx brother.  
  
"Dude," Griffin sighed, putting his hand on Eric's shoulder. "That's sooo not cool!"  
  
Eric looked annoyed at Griffin, and then went back to his noodle dough making. Caitlin opened the fridge like she was looking for something and then closed it. "Do you guys really think that anyone cares about a stupid noodle?"  
  
"Well it's better than having to the homework that I know you're not done with!" Griffin accused.  
  
Caitlin's glare shot daggers at Griffin. He just smirked and went back to making the noodle.  
  
Caitlin stomped away and without knowing it broke the noodle. Griffin first heard Eric's scream, "Nooooo! The noodle. You broke the noodle." Eric leaned down to where the noodle had separated. He seemed close to rocking it like he had lost a dear friend.  
  
"You did that on purpose!" Griffin accused.  
  
Griffin just watched Caitlin turn away and run upstairs.  
  
***  
  
Stupid noodle. Caitlin brooded. 'Like I care about some stupid noodle.'  
  
It wasn't like she had meant to break it. She flung herself on the bed. Sometimes she hated Griffin and Eric. They had it so easy. Jim and Dori never seemed to rag on Griff for messing up on their grades or anything.  
  
These were a couple of things she had talked to Will about. He seemed to shrug them off too, except to put down Griffin and Eric. He didn't seem to like them much, especially since the time Griffin tried to fight Will, which really was no contest. Caitlin laughed to herself. Griff fighting for her honor? She had yelled at him at the time for butting into her business, but she was grateful that he cared enough to defend her.  
  
"Caitlin?" Dori called from the other side of the door.  
  
"Yeah?" she called.  
  
The door to her room slowly opened. "Caitlin," Dori smiled. "How was your day?"  
  
Caitlin sat up on her bed, pulling the earphones she had intended on listening to off her head. "Fine," she replied distantly.  
  
"Are you still mad at Jim for telling you not see Will again?" she asked softly.  
  
Dori seemed to always know what was really on her mind. "Maybe."  
  
"Look, I know it's hard to put up with Jim sometimes, but you're his first daughter," she began to explain.  
  
Daughter. What a weird word? She hadn't been thinking about the adoption for a while. Would he call her daughter? "Yeah, so? He doesn't have to treat me like crap. I mean, I still have a brain and can make my own choices. Just because he doesn't like Will, doesn't mean I can't," she said vehemently.  
  
"I know," she said softly. "I just think that he's a little overprotective. Plus I have to agree that Will hasn't got the best track record Caitlin."  
  
"Look, I know he's not a … saint," she explained. "But you don't know him the way I do Dori. Neither does Jim. He just puts it on for show. He's not that bad once you get to know him. I mean, he's even promised to help me with my Algebra and Trig. I mean, how could a straight A student be that bad?" she pleaded.  
  
"Oh, all right. I never said you should stop seeing him and neither did Jim if you remember correctly. He just doesn't want you mixed up in all the bad stuff again. You have become a part of this family Caitlin. We've just gotten through all those trust issues you had with us and I don't want Will to be the reason why we don't feel we can trust you."  
  
Caitlin hung her head down, thinking about what she'd just said. Dori always seemed to be the voice of reason. At the beginning, Caitlin had just thought she was controlling and snotty, but Dori had a soft side. And Caitlin knew she truly loved her. "I'll think about it."  
  
Dori nodded and wrapped her arms around Caitlin. "I'm glad you will," she whispered.  
  
"Aww, come on. Don't get mushy on me Dori," Caitlin said awkwardly, pulling out of the embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry," she laughed.  
  
***  
  
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it! 


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: Curses these characters aren't mine!  
  
Pairings: C/E  
  
1 Chapter Three  
  
Caitlin had been working on her Algebra and Trig for an hour now, and she was no where close to understanding any of it. Will had promised to be by the house soon, but that had been a half an hour ago. "I give up!" she screamed gritting her teeth.  
  
"Now don't worry! It's super Will to the rescue," a low voice whispered in her ear.  
  
Will had snuck up on her as she sat on the deck of the house. "I didn't think you were going to make it," Caitlin exclaimed, blushing.  
  
"Now would I not stop by when a damsel in distress calls?" he laughed.  
  
"Maybe. But I'm definitely not a damsel in distress," she replied. "Damsel I am not!"  
  
They both laughed.  
  
"Hey, check out why I was late," he rolled up his shirtsleeve and revealed a tattoo.  
  
"Are you for real?"  
  
"Yeah. Cool isn't it? It didn't hurt as much as some of the guys at the parlor had said it would.  
  
Caitlin was shocked. A tattoo? Wow!  
  
For the next hour they worked on the Alegebra, and then the Trig. He seemed to make it apply to Caitlin's life, rather than trying to make her memorize formulas and then understand it. Will explained the make up of the formulas. "Thanks for the help Will. I don't know where I'd be with out you."  
  
Will raised his one eyebrow. "You can't live without me?" he asked huskily.  
  
"No," she blushed. "I said, I don't know where I'd be if you weren't here."  
  
She leaned across the table and at the same time, Will did the same. Their lips lightly brushed against one another, when a couple of voices interrupted.  
  
"Well, look who's here, the damaged boy and the girl who would follow?" Griffin yelled, announcing his presence.  
  
Caitlin turned to see Griffin and Eric standing there.  
  
Will rolled his eyes. Caitlin smiled. "What do you guys want?" she asked annoyed.  
  
"We're going to break another world record, and since you were the reason we didn't do it the first time, you're going to video tape it so we can send it in to the station."  
  
"And just what, pray tell, are you going to do?"  
  
Griffin put his arm around Eric's shoulder. "Eric's going to beat the record for most dill pickles eaten in a minute," he said proudly. "It's only like 168."  
  
"You've got to be kidding?" Caitlin laughed.  
  
"Nope! I've got a stomach of steel. I can do it," Eric boasted, patting his stomach and grinning widely.  
  
Caitlin couldn't help grin at Eric's confidence. 168 pickles? "Fine. I'll do it tomorrow," she sighed.  
  
Will glared at her. "Are you really going to do it?"  
  
"Yeah," she nodded.  
  
"Well, I'm outta here. I think I've had enough of the cool crowd," he stared down Eric. But Eric seemed to hold his own in the glaring contest.  
  
"Oh, I'm hurt. Not!" Griffin dead panned.  
  
Caitlin shook her head.  
  
***  
  
Eric ploughed through the mess that was his locker. Where is that textbook? Ah hah! He laughed triumphantly. As he was about to close the locker, he felt himself being shoved into it. "Hey!" Eric cried.  
  
As he turned around he found himself face to face with Will. 'What a complete jerk?' Eric thought. 'What does Caitlin see in doofus?' "Watch where you're going dangerboy!"  
  
Will glared at him and walked away with a smirk.  
  
"I cannot stand that guy!" he grimaced.  
  
"Who can't you stand?" Griffin asked, leaning against the locker next to his.  
  
"Will!" he cringed. "How can Caitlin like a jerk like him?"  
  
Griffin shrugged. "She's a girl. I guess girls go for mysterious guys like Will, even though they are jerks?"  
  
"I'd make a better boyfriend than dangerboy," Eric mumbled.  
  
"What did you say?" Griffin asked.  
  
"Nothing," he replied.  
  
***  
  
"So are you ready?" Griffin asked, rubbing Eric's shoulders like a trainer would for his prizefighter.  
  
"Yup!" Eric replied, jumping up and down on the spot, trying to warm up for what was going to be a tough challenge. "Hey where's Caitlin?"  
  
Griffin ran up the stairs to look for her. He looked in her room. "Nope," he said under his breath. Then he looked out the window, "Nope," he grimaced.  
  
"I can't find her down here," Eric yelled.  
  
"She's not up here either," Griffin yelled coming down the stairs. "I guess she ditched us."  
  
Eric rolled his eyes. "Well let's do it anyway."  
  
***  
  
Eric held his stomach, "Oh, I don't feel so good!"  
  
"Just 20 more!" Griffin coaxed.  
  
Eric just looked at the pickle in Griffin's hand and wanted to puke. He slid off the chair in the dining room and lay on the floor moaning. "I'm soooo done!" he groaned.  
  
Griffin sighed. "Oh well. I guess we're not meant to break the World's record for eating pickles."  
  
***  
  
"What are we doing out here?" Caitlin asked, wading through the waves of grain.  
  
"I'll show you," Will laughed dragging along two pieces of wood with a rope attached to both ends. He stopped in the field and pulled out a diagram of those crop circles you see in the Enquirer front pages. "We're going to make crop circles. Aliens visit a farmer's field."  
  
She watched Will begin the pattern, showing her how to do it. Finally Caitlin caught on and joined in on the fun. When they had pretty much finished the diagram; a voice was heard screaming. "What the hell are you doing?"  
  
They had been caught. Will pulled up his hood to cover his face, and so did Caitlin. Will jumped on Sinbad and he galloped up beside her as she was running. He pulled her up onto the horse and she held on to his waist for dear life.  
  
***  
  
"So, do you know if the police has figured out who did it?" Will asked over the phone.  
  
Caitlin whispered over the phone in the kitchen. "I haven't heard any names. So I don't think they know it was us, but the guy got a good look at your horse and has described it to Jim. They think it was two guys."  
  
"Oh. Well, did you get a kick out of it?"  
  
"Yeah. It was a rush," she smiled guiltily. Caitlin had heard from Jim that it was Eric's field that had been destroyed and she felt awful. Had she known it was his field, she would have suggested going to another. 'But is that any better. You won't trash a friend's field, but you'll trash a strangers?' Caitlin was so confused.  
  
"Caitlin?" Will's voice brought her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Will, I gotta go."  
  
"Caitlin, why don't you come down town and meet me for a burger?"  
  
Caitlin hesitated, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him right now. "I gotta go. Jim might get suspicious." And she hung up the phone.  
  
How was she supposed to know? Right?  
  
***  
  
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it! 


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me…they just lead me around by my nose!  
  
Pairings: C/E, with little bits of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Four  
  
Eric sat through Chem miserable and angry. 'Who could have done this?'  
  
He could feel someone's eyes on him. He turned to his left and caught Caitlin's eye. She turned away quickly. 'What was that about?'  
  
~~~  
  
"Hey Griff?" Eric called to his lifelong friend.  
  
"Yeah?" Griffin stopped on the doorsteps of the high school.  
  
"Has your dad heard anything more about the guys who killed our field?"  
  
Griffin shrugged sympathetically. "I'm sorry. It's the same story. Grey horse with a black mark on his hind quarters and two guys, one in a red hoodie and the other in a black."  
  
Eric slumped down on the stairs of the school. "Man," he sighed. "First the cattle, then the barley. We just can't cut a break!"  
  
Griffin sat down beside him. "Dude, I'm sure my dad will find out who did this to your field. I'm sure."  
  
"What are you guys doing sitting on the stairs? You're going to miss the bus," Caitlin called from the top of the stairs.  
  
"We're just trying to figure out who did this to Eric's field. There can't be too many grey palmettos around."  
  
Caitlin seemed to be awfully quiet, thought Eric.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm just trying to make Eric feel better about the cattle and the fields," Griffin explained.  
  
"Yeah," Eric sighed. "I don't think my dad can take much more stress. He's angry all the time now. And if he's not angry he's tired. I've never seen him like this."  
  
Eric hated laying out his feelings like this, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. His head felt like it was going to explode.  
  
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Griffin asked.  
  
"Dude, thanks for offering, but I'm just waiting for your dad to catch the guys."  
  
***  
  
Griffin told Eric to meet him outside of the malt shop. "What do you want?" Eric asked, running up to Griffin.  
  
Griffin pointed to Will in the back alley, talking to the cook of the malt shop.  
  
"Yeah, so? What do I care if Will is eating or not?" Eric asked.  
  
Griffin put his finger to his lips, signalling to be quiet. "Do you notice what is behind him?" Griffin motioned with his head.  
  
Eric seemed to gaze past Will. His face seemed to tense. "Man! That's that grey horse! Will did it man! He did it! I can't believe it. I'm gonna kill him!"  
  
Griffin, pulled him back. "We don't know for sure though. I mean, there could be other horses."  
  
"I know it was him! Besides, what other horse has a black mark on his hindquarters? But who's the other guy?"  
  
Griffin spaced out for a second. Or really more like, zone in. Caitlin. She had been missing that afternoon. And she does have a red hoodie. "Eric, I have to go for a second. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."  
  
Eric smirked. "Of course not."  
  
***  
  
Griffin walked into the malt shop and spotted Caitlin at the jukebox. He tapped her on the shoulder. She had a big huge smile, which meant she didn't expect to see Griffin there. "Oh, hey," she grunted.  
  
"Hey yourself. So where were you a couple of days ago? You missed taping our World record attempt." Come on Griff, be smooth about this. We gotta get some proof first.  
  
"I was out. Look, it's not like you guys would have done it anyway," she dismissed.  
  
"Hey, I happen to know, that Eric could have done it…if he hadn't been feeling well…" his voice trailed off. 'I'm getting side tracked,' Griffin chided himself. "Well, were you hanging out with Will?" he asked, casually. He hoped.  
  
"Maybe. Why?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Cuz Caitlin," he let out a deep breath. It was time to confront her. "I know you and Will were the ones who made the crop circles in Eric's field. You have been acting weird with Eric the past couple of days and I just saw Will with his grey palmetto. Caitlin, how could you do this to Eric? He's your friend."  
  
"You don't get it. You don't know anything about it. It was just a prank. It's not like I knew it was Eric's field!" she exclaimed.  
  
Griffin pressed on. "Caitlin, Will is a bad influence. I mean, your head is in a good place now. You don't need him dragging you down. He doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself. I mean, does he even care that he's done over a thousand dollars worth of damage to Eric's dad's crop?"  
  
Caitlin walked away. "Look Griffin, he's a good friend. You just don't know him."  
  
"Yeah, well I know you. And I know you would have never done it, let alone thought it up if it hadn't been for Will. You'd better figure out who your friends are before you lose them all. I don't think Eric will take to lightly to the fact that you helped Will destroy part of their season's crop."  
  
"Griffin, stop it. I feel bad about it. I do. I just…I just can't stop seeing Will. He knows me and I know him."  
  
"I don't think you know him half as well as you'd like to think. And what kind of friend would drag you into something that would put you in jail, or if not jail, make you lose all that you've worked hard for?"  
  
Griffin had nothing else to say and walked out.  
  
***  
  
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it! 


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say it! They don't belong to me!  
  
Pairings: C/E with little snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Five  
  
"Have you ever planted seeds with your own hand after cultivating the earth for weeks? Do you know what it's like to watch the stalks of grain poke through the dark soil and know that you planted that? Do you know what it is to walk through the waves of golden barley and watch it bend beneath the force of the wind? It's like watching a sea of gold before you. And you can just picture carving a half-pipe in it so perfect that you never could dream of a better place," Eric whispered in the ear of the struggling Will.  
  
Eric grinned from ear to ear as he sat on Will, his arm, twisted behind his back. "You're going to meet me at the crop circle."  
  
"And what makes you think I'll do that?" Will grimaced.  
  
"Because if you don't I'll let everyone know that it was you," he smirked.  
  
Will somehow scrambled from underneath Eric and gripped his shirt. "As if!"  
  
Eric gripped his bare arm, and looked at his hand. "What? Hey, what's wrong with your tattoo?"  
  
Will looked at his bicep, the ink was smudged.  
  
"It's fake. You drew it on!" Eric exclaimed. He started to laugh hysterically. "You're such a poser. You're such a poser, and if you don't want others to find out, you'll come to the ranch."  
  
Will shoved Eric onto the asphalt and walked to his horse.  
  
A drawn on tattoo? He knew Caitlin could do better than him.  
  
***  
  
"So we have to go to Eric's ranch, right?" Caitlin asked.  
  
"Yeah. But I'm not going to let him make me grovel and grope. If he thinks he can get away with that, I have something to say about that," he replied, smugly.  
  
"But you have to go! How else are we supposed to make up for the damage of the crop?"  
  
"I'll just pay him his thousand dollars," he answered non-chalantly.  
  
"And where are you going to get the money to do that?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"I've got my trust fund from my Dad. He had set it up for me when I was little and then when he died, I didn't want to touch it. It seemed dirty," he whispered.  
  
Caitlin nodded. "Don't you think your mom will find out?"  
  
"Yeah, so? I could care less what she thinks. She's the one, who killed him," he spat.  
  
Caitlin was taken off guard. "What do you mean?"  
  
"She's the one who convinced my Dad to ride Tango when he and I both knew that he wasn't broken. He was still too wild. But she was convinced and then he had the accident and died. She killed my Dad."  
  
Caitlin reached out her hand and took it in hers.  
  
***  
  
"Here!" Will said as he threw a piece of paper into the flattened barley.  
  
Eric reached down and picked up the cheque. "What's this?"  
  
Will grabbed Caitlin's hand. "It's a cheque for a thousand dollars. It should cover the cost of the barley."  
  
Eric gritted his teeth. "Don't you get it?" he yelled as he watched them walk away. "It's not about the money. My dad and I planted this grain and you destroyed that. What right do you think you have to walk onto my land and destroy something that we worked hard for?"  
  
Caitlin stopped Will. "Wait."  
  
Will turned around and walked over to Eric. "Then give me back the cheque if it's not about the money."  
  
Eric hesitated. He knew his father needed the money. He closed his eyes, holding onto the cheque.  
  
"I thought so," Will said snidely.  
  
He walked away and pulled Caitlin along with him. She stopped in her tracks. "I can't go Will. That thousand dollars might have paid for you, but it didn't pay for me."  
  
Will looked stunned. "What are you talking about? Of course it paid for you."  
  
"No, Will. It didn't." Caitlin turned back and walked back to where Eric and Griffin stood.  
  
"You aren't the person I thought you were," he reflected.  
  
"I was always this person. You just didn't want to see that," Caitlin replied.  
  
And she watched him walk away.  
  
***  
  
Caitlin's hands were raw from days of cutting barley. They had had to pick up the flat barley and cut it by hand. "Oh, I'm never going to do that again," she said out loud.  
  
She flung herself onto her nice comfy bed. "That's good to hear," Griffin said.  
  
Caitlin jumped. She hadn't noticed him walking in. "Get out of my room."  
  
"Caitlin!" he coaxed. "You did the right thing."  
  
"Yeah I know," she whispered. "I just hate the fact that Will, a person I thought I knew, didn't understand what I was trying to say."  
  
"Look, he doesn't deserve a friend like you. If he doesn't understand that Eric and I are your friends too, then you're better without him!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Caitlin asked, burying her head into her pillow.  
  
"I guess," Griffin shrugged and walked out of the room.  
  
***  
  
Grade 12! I can't believe we're in Grade 12 this year. Graduation. I never thought it would ever get here. But strangely it's a mix of emotions. Sadness and excitement all intermingled together. Like a collage of pictures.  
  
A lot has happened since the crop circle fiasco. Eric's parents moved, leasing their ranch to a couple. It hasn't been the same without Eric. I'm surprised to say. Griffin moped around the house and school for at least a month. They still kept in touch through email though. I've even gotten a few. And sent a few too.  
  
Brett has gotten back together with Taylor, don't ask me why. I've sung in a musical of Romeo and Juliet, something that I thought I'd never do. I even beat out Taylor for the part. And lastly, Will is back in my life.  
  
I can't say it's been the easiest year and a half of my life, but I've gotten through it. There was a close call with Will when there was an accusation that he had burnt down a stable, but it got sorted out and I realized that Will had finally changed. He wasn't self-destructive anymore. Griffin and Will even get along now. Jim doesn't even "hate" him. That said, Will and I are "together" now. It's weird. I've liked him for so long now, and now no one's standing in our way of being together.  
  
Yup, a lot has changed here I the last year. The adoption process was started last year too. I'm almost a Lowe now for real. It's really scary. I thought last year was a season for changes, but until I stepped into this school year. I had no idea what "real" changes were about to enter my life.  
  
"Griffin! What's your hurry?" Caitlin groaned, pressing her pillow against her head.  
  
"It's time for school!" he yelled excitedly.  
  
Caitlin looked at her clock. "It's 6:45 a.m. Why are you dragging me up at 6:45 in the morning? The bus doesn't even get here until 7:30!  
  
Griffin entered Caitlin's room. It was overflowing with clothes strewn everywhere. "Come on Caitlin, get up. Dad said he would drive us to school today!"  
  
"What? Why? We only do that when we're late!" she moaned.  
  
Caitlin felt a tug at her covers and suddenly she felt a cold draft of air. She sprang at Griffin. "Give me my covers back! I want to sleep some more. You get Jim to drive you. I'm sleeping in and catching the bus!"  
  
"Can't do that Caitlin!" he smiled a wicked little grin. "There's a surprise waiting for you at the school!" he sang.  
  
Caitlin stood in her room, groggily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What surprise? And why at school? It's not my birthday and you Dori already made a huge deal about the anniversary of my first day here. What surprise?"  
  
"You have to get ready and dressed first. Then you'll find out! It's a great surprise! Oh! We're leaving in like 20 minutes!" he yelled running down the stairs and humming.  
  
Why the heck is he humming? Griffin never hums.  
  
Caitlin quickly showered and dressed. What surprise? She was so confused. Caitlin clamored down the stairs with her backpack slung over her back. She set it down beside the kitchen counter in pursuit of her daily cup of coffee.  
  
Mmmmm! Coffee! What she'd ever do without the substance was beyond her!  
  
Caitlin felt a tug at her leather jacket and out of the corner of her eye she saw Griff grab her backpack and run. "Let's go Caitlin!"  
  
Oh boy. It's going to be the start of a very long day!  
  
Caitlin leaned against the backseat cushion, trying to get a little shut eye before entering her first day of her senior year. Senior year. I'm a senior!  
  
Caitlin had talked to Will last night about their first day of school. Both were upset that the summer was over, but they both agreed it'd be nice to see everyone at school again.  
  
She had hung up giddy with excitement. Part of her still got the chills speaking with Will, but part of her knew it might not the real thing. I mean, what is the real thing? She had asked herself last night. Caitlin was only 17 and they had been dating for almost six months now. It was getting pretty serious. Not you know that kind of serious. She shook her head.  
  
"Hey! Aren't you even the littlest bit excited?" Griff shouted from the passenger seat.  
  
"About what? You guys won't even tell me what the surprise is. And you won't even tell me why there even is a surprise!" she groaned.  
  
"Here you guys go! First day of your senior year!" Jim said chipperly.  
  
Caitlin and Griffin got out of the car. Griffin took off in a mad dash. "Hey Griff, wait for me!" Caitlin called.  
  
Caitlin took off following Griffin in a light jog. The new schoolbooks were heavy and she didn't really feel like breaking out in a sweat.  
  
She walked towards the entrance of the school. Her last year. Caitlin took a deep breath and entered the familiar halls.  
  
She headed towards a wall with several pieces of paper fun tacked to the wall. Homerooms. Caitlin searched for her name. She knew she would be in Mr. Laughterly's class this year. It was all about alphabetical order. Griffin would be in Mrs. Peters homeroom because his last name starts with L.  
  
Caitlin would see him though in some of her classes. The homerooms mixed with students wanting to take different classes. As she headed towards her homeroom, Caitlin finally spotted Griffin. "Hey Griffin!"  
  
He waved her over to the small crowd that was gathering beside the water fountain. "Caitlin, come on!"  
  
Caitlin walked over to where a crowd of a few of Griff's and her closest friends were. Brett, Jordan, Taylor, and Nikki just to name a few. As her friends parted to let her through, Caitlin found herself standing beside Griffin who was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"Caitlin!" a familiar husky voice greeted her.  
  
Her eyes adjusted to the messy blonde hair, the scruffy face and the piercing blue eyes. Eric?  
  
He looked exactly the same. A little taller, broader in the shoulders, but the same mischievous smirk on his face. "Eric?" she exclaimed, finally finding her voice.  
  
"Yup!" he nodded, biting his lower lip. He smiled a cheekly little grin.  
  
"I can't believe it!"  
  
Caitlin didn't know what to do. She wanted to hug him, but with the amount of people around, Caitlin decided against it. "So what are you doing back? I thought you guys had left for good!" she cried, punching him in the arm.  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know. Things were great in Montana, I mean, I was still getting used to school and stuff. But one day my parents told me that we were moving back. The lease was up from the couple that took over our ranch and my dad decided not to let them renew it," he explained. He seemed still in shock over it all.  
  
"I can't believe you're back!" Caitlin found herself saying it again. He looked at her with an understanding.  
  
They had both missed each other.  
  
***  
  
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it! 


	6. Chapter Six

Disclaimer: Owned by Nikolodeon  
  
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Six  
  
"Hey what's going on here?" Will's voice boomed over the crowd of people.  
  
The crowd parted to reveal Will's muscular frame walking towards Griffin, Eric, and Caitlin. He seemed to stop short of arms length from Caitlin and the reunion. "Will!" Caitlin exclaimed, unwittingly blushing under Will's shocked stare. "Look who's come back!"  
  
"Hey," Will grunted towards Eric.  
  
Eric nodded towards Will. Caitlin felt uncomfortable caught between the two boys' stares. They seemed to pierce right through her and into each other. Griffin soon alleviated the situation by dragging Eric away to homeroom with him.  
  
As the return of the school's star football player and class clown left, soon the crowd parted and went to their own homerooms. Caitlin remained standing in the middle of the hallway looking at Will. "Hey!" she eeked out. Caitlin forced a smile on her face. "Isn't it a surprise?"  
  
"Yeah, a surprise," he mumbled. Suddenly a smile appeared on his face and he wrapped his arms around Caitlin's waist. "How are you today?"  
  
Caitlin smiled as she looked into those chocolate brown eyes. "Good. What about you? Did you sleep well before your first day of school?"  
  
"Yes," he smiled. "I had sweet dreams about you."  
  
Caitlin felt herself involuntarily blush. She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Caitlin still felt awkward about the intimate proximity of Will's body to hers. "Did you, now?" she laughed nervously.  
  
"Yeah. Do you want to hear about…" the homeroom bell rang interrupting Will. The bell signalled the start of the new school year.  
  
"We'd better get going to homeroom," Caitlin suggested, pushing away from Will.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he sighed, looking at her strangely.  
  
***  
  
Will watched Caitlin as she sat in front of him. She had been acting weird since he'd walked in the door of the school. Now every time he touched her, she jumped. What's with her?  
  
His senior year hadn't begun the way he'd imagined. After the hard six months away from Caitlin that day she decided to stay with Griffin and Eric in the field had been hard, but they'd found their way back to each other and they were closer than ever. At least that's what he'd thought.  
  
When the crowd of people parted and he'd first laid eyes on Eric, he had a sick feeling in his stomach. Not that it wasn't a natural reaction anyway, he chuckled to himself. But there had always been something about the threesome: Eric, Griffin, and Caitlin. They were close -- a tight-knit group. When he'd finally left when his parents had moved, Will was secretly overjoyed.  
  
Now he was back.  
  
The school year definitely hadn't started the way he imagined it would.  
  
***  
  
Please R&R! I hope you guys like it! I've enjoyed writing it! 


	7. Chapter Seven

Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of Nickelodeon. I added Eric's last name since he didn't seem to have one and I couldn't find the principal's last name.  
  
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Seven  
  
As Caitlin slouched back into her chair, she couldn't help but feel guilty for feeling guilty about having Eric back. She was happy that he was back and somehow that made her feel disloyal to Will. Caitlin turned to look at Will who was sitting behind her. She smiled. He seemed deep in thought.  
  
After the introductions to homeroom, there was a disturbance in the hall. The door opened to reveal the principal and Eric. "Mr. Laughterly, I found a student in the wrong homeroom. I believe you might remember Mr. Davis?"  
  
Mr. Laughterly nodded and pointed to the desk to Caitlin's right. Eric rolled his eyes at Caitlin, and slumped into the chair. "Thank you Principal Watson," Mr. Laughterly smiled.  
  
Eric leaned over towards Caitlin. "Can you believe how stupid this is? It's not like it was going to kill them to let me hang out with Griff the first day! They said, that it would mess up 'roll call'," Eric mimicked.  
  
"Mr. Davis, do you have a problem?" Mr. Laughterly said sternly, looking over his wire-rimmed glasses. Eric shook his head and smiled. "Good. Then pay attention. We are setting up your timetable right now. Take the sheets you were given in Mrs. Peters class and find what rooms you are in off the overhead."  
  
Eric rolled his eyes at Caitlin again. She stifled a chuckle.  
  
"Hey! Why don't you shut up and do what Mr. Laughterly said!" Will whispered menacingly to Eric.  
  
Caitlin turned to see Will's darkened eyes, brooding behind her.  
  
"Take a chill pill, dude!" Eric laughed.  
  
"No. Why don't you grow up and get a life? Oh, that's right. Mr. Cowboy here is too stupid to actually get good grades! Maybe you want to lift some other people's homework to actually pass and graduate?" he accused.  
  
Caitlin couldn't believe what she was hearing. What's the matter with him?  
  
Eric's fist clenched and he gritted his teeth. "Caitlin, did you tell him about that?" Eric asked, his eyes opened wildly.  
  
"It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out, Gumby."  
  
Caitlin couldn't take it anymore. "Will, shut up!" she whispered. She made sure Mr. Laughterly wasn't looking and turned around in her desk. "What the hell do you think you're doing? What's wrong with you?"  
  
Will shook his head in disgust. "I'm just telling it like it is, Caitlin. You did get your diary stolen didn't you? And it was Eric who plagarized your poem, right?" he whispered, leaning forward.  
  
"So? It's none of your business. Eric apologized and told the truth. I've forgiven him for it. What has that got to do with you?" Caitlin shook her head and turned her attention back to making up her schedule.  
  
She felt Will's breath against her neck. "So, do you like blondes better?"  
  
"Whaaat?" Caitlin heard herself scream. The lights in the room turned on quickly, and Caitlin found Mr. Laughterly standing over her desk.  
  
"Is there a problem Ms. Seeger?"  
  
"No," she said meekly.  
  
"How about you Mr. Finley  
  
Caitlin turned to see Will shrug non-chalantly.  
  
"Well then, if nothing's wrong maybe you should get your schedule made up? We don't have all day!" Mr. Laughterly tapped Will's incomplete timetable.  
  
"Yeah, Will. You don't want to missing any classes this year!" Eric said sarcastically.  
  
Caitlin turned her eyes back to her own schedule and ignored the two little boys that surrounded her. Will they ever grow up!  
  
***  
  
Please R&R this fanfiction. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. Sorry it's taken so long to get any real relationship stuff in. I'm glad you guys like it!  
  
I have to write this C/E stuff, I mean, I haven't seen Eric in forever and I think he might be gone….so how else is Caitlin gonna end up with who she should have in the beginning! 


	8. Chapter Eight

Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of Nickelodeon.  
  
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Eight  
  
Caitlin waited for Griffin to get in the tacky cheap car, Griffin was so proud of owning. He had gotten it almost a year ago. Jim had helped Griffin fix the major problems with the car, but Griffin and Brett and Jordan had done most of the work. It was a dull forest green with a rust painted hood. It looked like someone had just painted the car with regular house paint or something. "Come on Griffin!" Caitlin sighed. "Let's get going!"  
  
Caitlin did not want to stick around and talk to either Will or Eric. Over lunch Will had proceeded to defend his behavior, citing it justifiable because it was true. Caitlin was fed up with his jealousy.  
  
It took her half the day to realize it, but Caitlin finally understood that Will was jealous of Eric. She had tried to explain and reassure Will he didn't need to be jealous, especially of Eric. Will feigned understanding, but Caitlin knew that he didn't believe her. So she gave up.  
  
"I'm not going to explain myself every time I speak to Eric or laugh at his jokes. Get over it! I don't understand why you're being so stupid! I mean, Eric and me? Are you kidding?"  
  
"Caitlin, I'm not stupid. Eric has a thing for you. I knew it before he left and I know it now!"  
  
"You know, even if he did like me, which he doesn't, except as a friend; it doesn't matter. I'm with you. And if you can't trust me and know that I really care about you, you don't know me at all."  
  
And with that she walked away to her next class.  
  
Caitlin shook her head. I don't need the grief!  
  
"Just a minute Caitlin. I told Eric we'd give him a ride to his house."  
  
Oh great! It's not like I need Eric to ream me out for telling Will that he cheated on his English poem after having it out with Will.  
  
"Fine!" she yelled. Caitlin released the front seat lever so she could sit in the backseat.  
  
This is going to be a long ride home!  
  
***  
  
"Hey Griffin! You know I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be riding in a car with you. Man this is so cool!" Eric laughed.  
  
Caitlin was surprised Eric hadn't mentioned the fact that she had told Will about the poem. Even when Griff picked up some gas before heading out of town, and they both sat in the car waiting for him, he never said a word.  
  
As they pulled up Eric's driveway, Eric turned to Griffin with a wicked look on his face. "Hey, why don't we see if my parents will let me stay at your house this weekend? I'll bring over all the photos my friends took in the Rockies of us boarding!"  
  
"Yeah! Uh, give me a call tonight okay?" Griff nodded.  
  
"Yup! Sure!" he grinned. "Ya wanna invite Jordan and Brett?"  
  
"Nah! Brett's too busy with Taylor on Friday and Saturday nights. Jordan, well, he's got work on the odd weekends and this one is his next one."  
  
"Aw, well, that's all right!" Eric dismissed as he got out of the car. "See ya Caitlin!" he yelled running to the house.  
  
"See ya!" Caitlin called as she jumped out of the backseat and climbed into the front.  
  
***  
  
Brrrring!  
  
"Got it!" Caitlin yelled from the upstairs. "Hello?"  
  
"Caitlin?" Will's voice answered.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing. Just hanging." Caitlin didn't know what to say. She really wasn't mad anymore, but yet she was still irritated.  
  
"Well, do you want to go for a ride?"  
  
"I don't think so. I promised Dori that I'd help her out with the stables after school."  
  
"Oh," he paused. "Are we okay?"  
  
"I guess," she said curtly. It was the only answer Caitlin could think of.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ragged on Eric, I mean, we never liked each other before…"  
  
"But you don't like him even more now?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. Look, I don't have to like all your friends right?"  
  
Caitlin sighed. "No," she pouted, "But you do have to stop cutting them down in front of me! I hate it. I mean, he's my friend and I know sometimes he can be a pain, but once you get to know him, you'll like him. I mean, think of Griffin. You guys hated each other, but now you're friends."  
  
"That's different. Griffin didn't hate my guts. Eric does. I'm not going to give him a chance if he doesn't and from the looks of it, it doesn't like it's going to happen any time soon."  
  
"Fine. Just don't start any fights. Even though the teachers know you've turned your attitude around, doesn't mean they'll like you fighting."  
  
"Aww, you're worried about me?" he teased.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up. I happen to be dating this amazing guy who can ride horses."  
  
"Oh really," he laughed. "Do you think I have a chance with you? I mean, if I'm on my best behavior with Eric and all?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know," she paused, smiling to herself. "My boyfriend might have a problem with you trying to pick me up."  
  
"Oh, I'm pretty sure I could take him," he laughed. "He was being a loser today at school. You don't want to hang out with him."  
  
"Caaaitlin!" Dori yelled.  
  
"I have to get going, Dori's calling me."  
  
"Okay. See you at school tomorrow?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
***  
  
Please R&R this fanfiction. It's getting better! I'm so happy that CW is back on. I can't believe they wanted to cancel it at all! 


	9. Chapter Nine

Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of Nickelodeon.  
  
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Nine  
  
The first week of school managed to go by quickly and Caitlin was thankful that Will and Eric were able to adult about things and tried to be civil to each other. Caitlin and Will patched things up quickly and were planning the weekend together.  
  
"Yeah. I kind of would like to be out of the house. Maybe we could plan a camping trip or something?" Caitlin suggested.  
  
"And why do you want to be out of the house so bad?" Will laughed.  
  
"Griff is having Eric stay at our house this weekend. It's like they've reverted to childhood. They're planning all these things they used to do before Eric left."  
  
Caitlin was forced to listen to Griffin and Eric plan the weekend for the entirety of the week. Everyday Griffin would drive Eric home and they would come up with something new to do. Caitlin rolled her eyes, as she sighed into the phone. "Yeah, so would you like to go camping in Glen forest this weekend?"  
  
"Don't you think Dori and Jim would mind if you went camping with me for an entire weekend?"  
  
Caitlin never even thought of that. But what could they really object to? It was camping?  
  
"I suppose they might, but I mean, we're just going camping? I mean, it's not like we're in any real danger. The forest has like deer in it. It's not like there are bears or any other dangerous wild beasts."  
  
Will cleared his throat. "Caitlin, um, I don't think that is what they're gonna be worried about."  
  
Caitlin thought about it for a second. Oh….Oh! Caitlin's eyes widened at the thought. "They can't be serious about that can they? I mean, for pete's sake, we're not even…"  
  
She hadn't thought about it that way. Caitlin didn't even think about it from that aspect. She had just wanted to get out of the house. "Yeah. Maybe you're right. I doubt we'd be allowed to camping if they come at it from that aspect. And now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure they will."  
  
Caitlin could hear Will sigh on the other end. "Well, it would have been a fun trip!" he laughed.  
  
"Yeah," she sighed. "Well, do you want to come over here?"  
  
"I don't know if that would be a great idea, considering Eric's going to be there."  
  
"Well, you guys behaved well enough at school this week, I'm sure you're a big boy and can handle it," Caitlin laughed.  
  
"Oh, I know I can, I'm just not so sure he can handle it!" he chuckled. "You don't have to worry about me!"  
  
"Never!" Caitlin laughed.  
  
***  
  
The weekend didn't seem like it could come soon enough. Eric was excited as he packed up his party digs and some food that he promised to bring. He also grabbed his photo album that sat on his desk. "Can't for get these!" he yelled to himself.  
  
As he finished packing, Eric heard a loud honk. It must be Griffin!  
  
"Coming Griffster! It's time to paaaarrrrrtttayy!"  
  
~~  
  
"Hey Mrs. Lowe!" Eric greeted Dori.  
  
"Eric!" she exclaimed. "It's sooooo good to see you again!"  
  
Eric hugged the Griffin's pretty hot mom, not that he would have ever told Griffin that. 'Too freaky,' he thought to himself.  
  
"It's good to see you too Mrs. Lowe."  
  
"So how are your parents? I haven't seen them for a while."  
  
"Oh, good."  
  
"Well tell them to drop by sometime!" she called as she walked out the front door.  
  
"Yup!" he called.  
  
~~  
  
Eric dropped his backpack and sleeping bag in the living room. Griffin had gone to his room or his "pad" as Griffin referred to it to grab his sleeping bag and other sleeping articles to bring to the living room. They both had decided to sleep in the living room since, well, it had always been where they slept when they had "guy's night".  
  
"Hey Eric!" Caitlin smiled as she grabbed something from the fridge.  
  
"Oh, hey Caitlin!" he smirked.  
  
"Sooo where's the brooding boyfriend?" he teased. The thought made him want to gag, but he couldn't let on after what Will had been saying around school.  
  
"Yeah, I heard that Eric's got it bad for Caitlin and that's why Will and Eric are having it out behind the school," a girl's voice chirped.  
  
"Well, I heard that she's the reason he came back to High River and that he made his parents move back here! Can you believe it?" a second girl's voice giggled.  
  
"Well, you know, I heard they had a secret relationship and his parents moved to get him away from the rebel without a clue!"  
  
Eric shook his head. The things people think! He smirked to himself.  
  
"What are you smirking at?" Caitlin asked as she took a sip of her orange juice.  
  
"Nothing. Just things people talk about in small towns!" he explained awkwardly.  
  
'She obviously hadn't heard any of the rumors,' he thought.  
  
"So what are you up to today? Are you going to stick around and hangout with me and the Griffster?"  
  
She shook her head. Eric had to admit he was a little disappointed. Even though the first week back had been hard, with Will in the picture and all, Eric had been hoping to hang out with both Griffin and Caitlin.  
  
"No, Will…" she began speaking when the doorbell rang. "Will!"  
  
Eric heard her exclaim. He rolled his eyes and pretended to stick his finger down his throat. "Will!" he exclaimed with feign excitement.  
  
"Eric!" Caitlin glared at him.  
  
"Hey Will!" Griffin greeted him, as he walked into the kitchen. "I didn't know you'd be coming by today."  
  
"Yeah, well Caitlin and I are going to go riding."  
  
"Sounds like fun!" Eric replied sharply.  
  
Will moved towards Eric, but Caitlin got in the middle of the two as Eric got ready for him to start something.  
  
"Guys! Cut it out!" Caitlin sighed.  
  
"Yeah cut it out!" Griffin whined.  
  
Eric watched Caitlin escort Will outside.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Griffin asked. "He's not a bad guy you know?"  
  
"What?" Eric screeched. "What are you talking about? Is this not the same guy who we both know destroyed my Dad's crop?"  
  
"Well, Caitlin did that too!" Griffin argued.  
  
"Yeah, well, she apologized and helped. He just handed me a cheque and thought everything was just dandy!" Eric mocked.  
  
"Yeah, but he's changed. A lot has changed Eric. Will isn't the jerk he used to be."  
  
Eric put up his hand and signalled for Griffin to stop with Will's defense. "I really don't care what Will is or not! I can't believe Jim and Dori would allow Caitlin to date a guy like that, jerk or not!" Eric huffed.  
  
"Why?" Griffin looked at Eric in confusion.  
  
"Well…well, because," Eric stated.  
  
"Um, what kind of answer is that? Caitlin likes Will and Will likes Caitlin. That's why they're dating. I don't see a problem."  
  
Eric rolled his eyes in frustration. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about pretty boy now!"  
  
'What does she see in that guy?' Eric asked himself. 'I can't believe she's dating him. I mean, if I hadn't left I could've talked some sense into her.' Eric shook his head. ' Okay, enough. Man, you've got to stop thinking about Caitlin and Will!'  
  
***  
  
What do you guys think? Should I still go on? I am trying to get them together (c/e) but I don't want it to be bogus, cuz there was always that "Will" factor. But I always believed that Eric would have won out in the end…if he had stayed on the show! :o( Please R&R! 


	10. Chapter Ten

What do you guys think? Should I still go on? I am trying to get them together (c/e) but I don't want it to be bogus, cuz there was always that "Will" factor. But I always believed that Eric would have won out in the end…if he had stayed on the show! :o( Please R&R!  
  
Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes  
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. They are the property of Nickelodeon.  
  
Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W  
  
1 Chapter Ten  
  
Caitlin took a deep breath as they finished their race up the meadows near Lowe's ranch. "Man, that was a good race. I almost beat you that time!" Caitlin laughed.  
  
"Yeah!" Will agreed, reigning Sinbad up beside Bandit.  
  
"So, how long you got before you have to get back home? We've been out for a long time." Caitlin stared into the horizon as the sun set.  
  
"I guess in like a half an hour?"  
  
"Let's walk back."  
  
Will got off his horse and as Caitlin slid off her saddle, Will caught her.  
  
"You know," she smiled as her lips were inches away from Will. "I love racing you. It gets my heart pumping."  
  
Will moved a little closer, till Caitlin thought he would kiss her. "You know what gets my heart pumping?"  
  
Caitlin shook her head. "You." She felt his lips on hers and Caitlin felt her arms wrap around Will's neck.  
  
"Welll," she sighed as she broke away from the kiss. "You definitely know how to get my heart racing now."  
  
Caitlin smiled as she looked into his chocolate brown eyes. They seemed to twinkle under the last rays of the sun. "I definitely know you get more than just my heart racing…" Will teased.  
  
Suddenly Caitlin felt a little uncomfortable as Will pulled her closer to him. "I think we should get back…" Caitlin blurted out.  
  
"Awww, just a few more minutes with my beautiful girlfriend?" he coaxed.  
  
"Um," she paused. "No, it's getting dark. We'd better get going."  
  
Caitlin pulled on Bandit's reigns.  
  
"Wait," Will called jogging up beside her and took her free hand in his. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm fine," she replied quietly. "I'm just a little tired."  
  
***  
  
Eric and Griffin had been having a blast, but Eric just couldn't get his mind off Caitlin.  
  
Man, what's the matter with me?  
  
"Hey Eric, you wanna play PS2 with me?" Griff looked over the couch at Eric.  
  
"Nah," Eric replied, rummaging through the fridge. "Maybe later."  
  
"Hey, where do you think Caitlin and Will went?" Eric asked, pulling out a package of processed turkey and a loaf of bread.  
  
"I don't know!" Griffin answered dismissively. "Why?"  
  
"Uh, I don't know," Eric shrugged. "Just wondering. I mean, you can't be too careful with a guy like Will you know!"  
  
Griffin peered over the top of the couch again and grimaced. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Well, you know!"  
  
"Uh, no I don't," he stated calmly. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, you know. A guy like Will is pretty smooth. You don't know if he's going to make a move on her or something!"  
  
Eric threw his hands up in the air, but then realized his sandwich happened to be in one of them.  
  
Splat.  
  
Griffin glanced at the limp sandwich, its contents scattered on the floor and then peered over at a flustered Eric. "Are you sure you don't know what's wrong with you? Did the air in Colorado suck the life out of you? You used to be a lot more fun than this! I mean, all we've been talking about on and off for the past hour is Caitlin…" Griffin's voice trailed off.  
  
Eric had pretty much gathered the contents of his poor sandwhich and dumped it in the garbage. "What?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
"Don't tell me…" Griffin mumbled.  
  
Eric was lost. "What? Don't tell you what?" He wiped his mayo-stained hands on a near by dishcloth.  
  
"You really actually do like Caitlin!" Griffin exclaimed.  
  
Eric rolled his eyes. "Duh, Griffin. She is my friend!" he laughed half- heartedly.  
  
He began to make himself another sandwich. "So hey, I thought you wanted to play PS2?" Eric tried to distract Griffin from the wandering topic. He grabbed his turkey sandwich and plopped down on the couch. "Well, let's play Griffster!"  
  
"Hey, don't try to change the subject!"  
  
"I'm not," Eric said defensively.  
  
"Yeah you are. You like Caitlin. Awww, man why did you have to go do that for?" Griffin shook his head.  
  
"What are you talking about? Even if I did like Caitlin, which I don't, ya know…in that way. What's it got to do with you?"  
  
"Um, it's just wrong. Okay? It's just wrong. I mean, you guys don't get along and you hated each other's guts before. I know I teased Caitlin about it, but I for sure didn't think you liked her back."  
  
Eric just sat there bemused. He had missed Griffin and his babbling. "Look Griff, don't worry about it. I don't like her that way!"  
  
Eric patted Griffin on the back and took a gigantic bite out of his sandwich.  
  
"You don't like who?" Caitlin's voice rang out.  
  
Both Griffin and Eric turned to see Caitlin peering over the couch at them.  
  
***  
  
Caitlin laughed to herself. Now who could Eric like?  
  
"Noowooean," Eric muffled, trying to swallow the mix of turkey and bread.  
  
"No one, huh?" Caitlin smirked. "Hmmm, that means you must like someone!"  
  
"Uh, no! He likes no one!" Griffin squeaked, like a mouse caught in a trap.  
  
"Hmmm, could it be Taylor?" she though out loud. Caitlin laughed at the squeamish Eric. "No, huh? Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, she is Brett's girlfriend. Hmmm, what other girls do you actually hang out with?" Caitlin continued to ponder outloud.  
  
"Uh, no one," Eric exclaimed, getting up from the couch. He walked over to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for himself. "Uh, so where's Will?"  
  
Caitlin knew he was changing the subject, but felt badly for the guy and answered the question. "He went back home. His mother had asked him to be home for supper."  
  
"Well, when has that ever stopped him from staying here before and eating supper?" Griffin joked.  
  
Caitlin shot him a glare. "He's trying to give her a chance…Griffin!" Caitlin poked him in the shoulder blade.  
  
"Hey, ow!" he cried, getting up from the couch. "Eric, what game do you want to play? They're up in my room."  
  
"Hmmm?" Eric asked, somewhat distracted by his something on the floor. "Uh, whatever!" he shrugged.  
  
Caitlin watched Griffin up the stairs and disappearing behind his bedroom door.  
  
Suddenly there was this awkward silence in the room. Caitlin took off her jacket and threw it on the couch. "Uh, so, you guys having fun?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. I guess."  
  
Caitlin decided she needed something to do, so she went to grab a glass out of the cupboard, but Eric was standing in her way. She tried to reach above him, Eric leaned back to try to give her some room to reach the glass, but there wasn't enough room. Caitlin found herself inches away from Eric.  
  
"Um, sorry," she apologized breathily. Caitlin didn't move in fear that she just might move the wrong way and end up closer to Eric and his intense blue eyes.  
  
"Uh, yeah. No prob," Eric quipped.  
  
"Hey Eric!" Griffin called from upstairs.  
  
Caitlin jerked away, tugging at a strand of hair. Eric seemed frozen for a moment, his eyes still on her.  
  
"Hey Eric!" Griffin called again.  
  
"Uh…" he seemed to stutter. "Yeah! Coming, uh, Griffster."  
  
Caitlin watched him walk up the stairs that came down into the kitchen.  
  
What was that?  
  
***  
  
Sorry it's taken so long! I hope you enjoy Ch. 10. Let me know what you think? It's taking very long to get these two together…I know! I know! Hehe! Hopefully I can turn some C/W fans and C/B fans to C/E fans! Lol! You think? R&R people! 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Eleven 

Eric walked through what seemed like a mist.  It was dark, with a ray of light at what seemed like a darkened corridor.  He could hear laughter chiming throughout the corridor, but he couldn't quite figure out whose it was. 

_"Hello?  Anybody there?"_

_The mist seemed to grow thicker and Eric felt like he had to wade through it like water.  "Anyone there?"_

_"Eric!" Caitlin called, laughing._

_Suddenly the mist and darkness faded away and he was standing in a sea of gold with Caitlin.  She looked the same as ever -- dark auburn hair, pools of ebony that seemed to draw your gaze forever.  "Caitlin!  What are you doing in our field?  Shouldn't you be with Will?  Ya know, riding off into the sunset?"_

_Caitlin walked towards him, the stalks of wheat brushing against her jeans.  Her hands skimming along the heads of wheat.  She seemed to walk towards him in slow motion, her eyes fixed upon his.  Eric could feel his heart beating faster and harder against his chest.  "You know Will isn't the one for me," she whispered, her voice carried along by the gentle breeze that caressed his face._

"I know," he whispered as he held her hand, their fingers entwining.

_"Gah," Eric gasped.  He surveyed his surroundings.  _

Nope, no wheat!  And no Caitlin.  Eric stared down at his hands and shook his head.  Just a dream, he thought.  Just a dream.

He quietly slipped out of his sleeping bag, which lay parallel to Griffin.  Eric heaved a quiet sigh of relief as he leaned against the kitchen counter, looking out at the night sky.

_I can't like Caitlin.  I can't!  Eric rubbed his eyes, his hand cupping his chin.  __I mean, she's dating Will.  He's her type more than I am right?  All these thoughts danced though Eric's head.  __But you like her you dope.  And you said it yourself, you'd make a better boyfriend than dangerboy!_

Eric wrestled with the thoughts as he poured himself a glass of water.  _But she's got a boyfriend!  You can't make her like you!  Can you?_

_Well she already likes you! Right?  He argued with himself like this for a few minutes._

"Ahhh!" a girl's voice quietly screeched.  "Eric?  What are you doing standing here in the dark?" Caitlin asked.

"Ah, nothing," he replied casually, stumbling back into the counter as he turned around to face her.

"Okay," she replied.  

Eric imagined her rolling her eyes as she replied.  He couldn't see her eyes, but Eric could tell by the tone of her voice that she was rolling her eyes.

"What are you doing up?" he retorted.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Well, did you have a bad dream?" he asked.

She shook her head.  As she leaned against the counter beside him, he could now see her face in the moonlight.  "You?"

He shook his head.  Eric seriously hoped she couldn't make out the fact that his face flushed at the thought of the dream.

"Hey, Eric?" Caitlin whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're home.  I don't think I got the chance to say that.  I missed you."

Caitlin shuffled her feet, staring at the floor.

"Same," Eric replied, staring at the opposite wall.

***

Caitlin didn't know what possessed her, but she grabbed Eric's hand and entwined her fingers within his.  She felt the heat rush to her face.  "Uh, good-night," she whispered as she untangled her hand from his.

"Good-night," his whispered voice called after her.

~~~

Caitlin jumped back into her bed, hoping to chase the coldness of the evening away.  

_What possessed her?  She asked herself again.  __I don't know, she thought to herself.  Why do I need a reason?  I missed him, and I told him._

_'But holding his hand?' the thought jumped out at her.  Caitlin sighed and let the heaviness of the Sandman carry her to sleep._

~~~

Caitlin had been grooming Bandit for a like 10 minutes now. 

'Why did I do it?' she thought to herself.

'Because you like him,' a voice kept saying in her head.

"Stop it!  I don't like him like that!" she yelled out loud.

"You don't like who like that?" Will laughed as he strolled leading Sinbad by the reigns.

"Oh!" Caitlin jumped, taking a quick breath.  "I didn't hear you coming Will."

"I'm guessing that, since you were talking to yourself!" he joked.

"I didn't know we were going riding today?" she quipped.

"It was a spur of the moment kind of thing.  I just wanted to see my favorite girl!" he whispered in her ear.

A shiver ran down Caitlin's spine.  "Oh."

Caitlin looked at herself.  She wasn't dressed for riding.  That morning, she had put on a grungy pair of sweats and a long baggy shirt.  Not what she usually wore, but the hamper full of dirty clothes wouldn't allow her to dress otherwise.  "Well, if you want to go for a ride, you'll have to wait for me to change!" she teased.

"Oh, I don't know.  I mean, I don't know if I have an hour to wait around for you to pretty yourself up for me," he deadpanned.

Caitlin hit him on the arm.  "Just give me a couple of minutes.  The laundry should be dry by now."

***

"Wellll, looky here!  Look what the cat dragged in!" Eric smirked, as he walked into the stables.

He had seen Caitlin running out of the building when he and Griff had been fooling around and thinking up ideas to pass the time.  Griffin mentioned some rope in the stables and Eric non-chalantly volunteered to get it.

"What do you want?" Will grimaced.

"Oh, I don't know.  Don't I have a right to be in here if I want?" Eric asked innocently.

"Whatever!  Isn't it kind of creepy just lurking around Caitlin?  It's really pathetic if you think about it!" Will scoffed.

"What are you talking about?  I just wanted to see what made Caitlin go running out of the stables like the buildings on fire!" he grinned.

Eric didn't like him.  Didn't like him at all.

"Well, if you must know, _and_ it will get rid of you.  We're going for a _ride_!"  This time Will was smirking.

Eric slowly walked over to Bandit and began stroking his mane. "You act like a jerk to Caitlin and I swear, you'll regret it," Eric threatened.

Will rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, like you've a say in what I _do_ or _don't do_ with Caitlin," he hissed.

"And what do you mean by _that_?" Eric spat.

"Oh, nothing," Will smiled innocently.  "Let's just say, that we're a _lot_ closer than you know.  And if you _think_ that you'll break us up, by playing the victim…" his voice trailed off.

Eric could guess at what Will was insinuating.  It made his heart race at the thought that Caitlin would be naïve enough to do anything with _guy!_  He clenched his free hand into a fist.  It was all Eric could do to keep himself from lunging at Will's throat.

"No one needs to play the victim with Caitlin.  She has a heart.  Something you are lacking," Eric smirked.  "And soon enough, she'll figure out that leopard doesn't change his spots."

At that, Eric could tell he had gotten under Will's skin.  Eric was always better at this game.  He knew exactly how to get under people's skin.  It was a talent he prided himself on.  Eric had done it to Griffin, and the guy had become his best friend, not something he was looking to do with Will.  And he _certainly_ knew how to get under Caitlin's skin, which gave Eric some hope that there might actually be something between the two.  He laughed at the thought.

"What are you laughing at?" Will yelled.

"Nothing.  Just thinking of how Caitlin found out you were a poser the first time and how she's still smart enough to figure it out the second time!" he said casually.

He had done it.  Will was really stoking mad at him now.  Eric could read him, like he could read a lot of people, some better than others.

"Why you…" Will growled.  

Eric dodged his lunging hands.  Easily stepping out of the way, Eric laughed as Will struggled to get up from the loose straw that was scattered across the stable floor.  "Oh, what's the matter?  Poor baby gonna cry now?" Eric taunted.

As Eric offered his hand to help Will up.  Eric knew he shouldn't be teasing the guy this badly, especially since Caitlin would be coming back any second.  "Hey, come on.  We don't have to be like _mortal enemies_!" Eric rolled his eyes.

Will slapped his hand away.  "Give me a break.  Save it for when Caitlin's around," We spat, as he began brushing off the pieces of straw that clung to his jeans.

"Save _what_ for when I'm around?" Caitlin asked, strolling into the stables.

Will rolled his eyes.  

Eric began to try to explain. "Look Caitlin…"

But Caitlin wouldn't let him finish.  "What happened to you?  Why are you covered in straw?" she asked Will, brushing pieces out of his hair.

"What else?  Eric came here to start trouble," Will glared at him.

"What?" Eric exclaimed in disbelief.  "I didn't do anything.  I was looking for some rope because Griffin and I were going to start his first money making production of _'Life on the Edge'_," Eric said dramatically, raising his hands up in the air, seeing the name in lights.

Caitlin seemed incredulous at the excuse.  "Really?" she sighed.

"Yeah!  Even ask Griffin!" Eric exclaimed.

"Ha!" Will blurted out.  "You came here to start something and irritate the hell out of me.  Which apparently is a talent of yours," he smirked.

Eric let out a deep breath.  "Whatever Caitlin.  It was your macho boyfriend here, who tried to take my head off.  That's why he's got straw all over his clothes."

Caitlin looked sternly at Will.  "Is that true?"

Will looked peeved at Caitlin.  "Yeah, of course!  Cuz I always start trouble, don't I?" Will huffed and stalked away, leading a fidgety Sinbad out of the stables.

Caitlin glared at Eric.  "Look what you did!" she grimaced.

Eric watched her stalk away.

"What did I do?" Eric yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.

_'Forget her!' he thought and stalked out of the barn.  Forgetting about the rope._


	12. 12

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twelve 

"Griffin!" Caitlin yelled as she continued her whirlwind search. "Where did you put backpack?"

Caitlin allowed Griffin and Eric to use the backpack as they trekked out into the woods that Sunday morning.  Anything to get Eric out of her and Will's hair.  

"What do you mean?" Griffin yelled from the living room.

Caitlin stormed out of her room and down the stairs.  "It's not in my room.  When you borrow something, you return it from where you got it!"

Griffin rolled his eyes at her.  She growled and continued her search.  Caitlin had pretty much been in the same grumpy, crabby mood after Will's encounter with Eric in the stables.

"Caitlin, stop being such a grouch.  I put it where I found it.  On your bed." Griffin returned to finishing the homework he had forgotten to do during that weekend.  "Stop interrupting me!  If I hand this assignment in late at the beginning of our senior year, Mr. Peters will have my head!"

Caitlin continued to scour the house in attempt to find her backpack.

_What the heck was Eric thinking?  I can't believe he thought he could butt into my life!_

Caitlin finally stomped back up the stairs and attempted to once again find her backpack in her room. "Yeah, I would have seen it if it were sitting on my bed," she mumbled to herself.  "What am I blind?"

As she pushed her door open, Caitlin gazed at her disheveled bed.  "I don't see it," she said irritated.  

Caitlin bellyflopped onto her bed.  She peered underneath the sheets of her bed and under the mounds of dirty clothes.  "Come on!  Where are you, you stupid backpack?"

She rolled over onto her back and sat up ready to look between her knees and look under the other side of the bed, just in case she missed something.

"Are you looking for this?" Dori asked from the doorway.

Caitlin looked up and found her backpack hanging from one hand, in Dori's possession.  "Yes!" she exclaimed jumping up from her bed and grabbing the enigmatic bag.  "Where'd you find it?"

Dori shook her head and smiled.  "They left it in the foyer."

Caitlin clenched her fist and closed her eyes.  

_I knew it!_

"Griffin!" she screamed from her room.  Caitlin was all prepared to tell him what she thought of him when Dori put her hand on her shoulder.

"Caitlin?" she said firmly.  

Caitlin turned to look at Dori, dropping her shoulders and prepared for a speech.  Instead Dori asked her a question.

"Is there something wrong?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  _'Is something wrong?'_ The question rolled around in her head for a few second.  _When isn't there something wrong?_

"Dori, we have to get going!  We're gonna be late," she sighed and tried to sneak past the "mother-figure" in her life.

"You've got 15 minutes to talk," Dori coaxed.  "Besides with the way Griffin drives, you'll be there in five!"

Dori motioned for Caitlin to sit on her bed.  "You've been in a bad mood ever since Sunday.  What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing!" she exclaimed.  She sighed loudly and plopped herself on the bed.

"Dori eyed her, tilted her head for a moment and then shook it in disagreement.  "I don't think so.  Did you have a fight with Will?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  She felt Dori's eyes boring into her and Caitlin couldn't help but feel uneasy talking about her boyfriend, with her almost mother. "Dori," she whined. "Do we have to talk about this now?"

"I think so," she stated.  "Besides, I don't think it's good for you to keep things bottled up.  I know having a boyfriend for the first time is a stressful thing.  Especially when it's your first fight."

"It's not our first fight!" Caitlin disagreed.  "We've fought a lot."

"But it's your first one as boyfriend and girlfriend.  Ever since the new school year started, you've been very quiet and subdued Caitlin.  A lot different from the summer!" she explained.  "Does this have anything to do with Eric?"

Caitlin was in shock.  '_Why would she say that?  Why does everyone keep asking that?'_

"NO!" she exclaimed, upset.  "No.  Oh my gosh, no!"

Caitlin chewed her lip.  Maybe she was being a little to adamant about it.  Caitlin could tell by the look in Dori's eye that she thought differently on the subject.

"Caitlin," Dori drawled.  "It's not unusual to find someone you've known forever…you know…" she paused awkwardly, searching for the 'hip' word.  "Cute."

"Dori…" Caitlin began to speak when Griffin's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"Caitlin, let's go!  We're gonna be late!  I have to pick up Eric too!" he yelled.

Caitlin closed her eyes thanking God that the conversation was ended.  "I have to go!" she replied quickly.  Caitlin grabbed her backpack and ran down the stairs.  She could see out of the corner of her eye, Dori shaking her head.

~~~

Caitlin ran down the stairs and gave Griffin a quick pat on the shoulder and said, "Thank you!" as they ran out the door.

***

Griffin pulled up to Eric's driveway and honked the horn.  He glanced at an anxious Caitlin in the rearview mirror.  "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"What?" Caitlin glared at him in the mirror.

"Well, first you were in a grouchy mood and now you're all so twitchy."

Caitlin rolled her eyes at him.  Griffin never understood his 'sister'.  She was always so moody, more so now that the school year had started.  

_'Boy, she still hasn't gotten over yesterday!' he thought._  

Griffin sighed to himself.  _Girls!  Always so moody_.

He honked again and just as he released the pressure off the horn, Eric came exploding out the door.  Eric waved his hands as he ran in front of the car and mouthed 'sorry'.

~~~

Griffin, Caitlin, and Brett had been sitting in English for 30 minutes now.  Griffin was slumped over, his head on his desk.  He hated English.  They were working on dossier assignments that had been assigned to them last week.  Actually they were rewrites, but Griffin didn't understand the purpose of them.  "It's fine the way it is," Griffin whispered to Caitlin.

She had rolled her eyes at him.  '_She would,' he thought to himself.'_

Caitlin was a whiz at English.  She really liked it.  Griffin wasn't a writer himself.  He worked better with numbers and computers.  

"Hey," Brett whispered, throwing a pencil at Griffin.  

Brett was sitting a behind him, with Lenny Cardner in between them.  Griffin turned around in his desk.  "What?" he mouthed.

He pointed to Caitlin and passed Lenny a note, which he in turn passed to Griffin.  Griffin was confused.  _Was he just about to pass a note to Caitlin from Brett?_

"Why?" I mouthed.

Brett just smiled and motioned with his hand to give it to Caitlin.  

She was sitting in the desk beside me and I quickly and stealthily slipped the note onto her desk.  Caitlin snapped her head around when she noticed the piece of paper land on her desk.  She looked at Griffin curiously.

He shrugged at her and pointed back to Brett, who in turn, grinned widely at Caitlin as she scrunched her face at him questioningly.

Griffin watched as Caitlin read the short note.  Her eyes began to bug out and she turned around and glared menacingly at Brett.  Griffin tried to read what she mouthed at Brett, but couldn't quite get the gist of it.  '_What….something…who…something…you…'_

_This was irritating._

***

"What the heck?  Who told you that?" Caitlin mouthed the question back to Brett.  He just shrugged and smiled crookedly.

_Hey Caitlin!_

_Is it true that you and Will broke up this Sunday?_

_                                                                                                                                                Brett :o)_

Caitlin turned around in her desk and began to stew about the factless rumor.

_She and Will had NOT broken up!  They hadn't!_

***

Please R&R people!  Sorry it's so short!


	13. 13

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirteen 

Eric stewed over what had happened Sunday morning.  He couldn't believe it.  

**flashback**

_"Save what for when I'm around?" Caitlin asked, strolling into the stables._

_Will rolled his eyes.  _

_Eric began to try to explain. "Look Caitlin…"_

_But Caitlin wouldn't let him finish.  "What happened to you?  Why are you covered in straw?" she asked Will, brushing pieces out of his hair._

_"What else?  Eric came here to start trouble," Will glared at him._

_"What?" Eric exclaimed in disbelief.  "I didn't do anything.  I was looking for some rope because Griffin and I were going to start his first money making production of 'Life on the Edge'," Eric said dramatically, raising his hands up in the air, seeing the name in lights._

_Caitlin seemed incredulous at the excuse.  "Really?" she sighed._

_"Yeah!  Even ask Griffin!" Eric exclaimed._

_"Ha!" Will blurted out.  "You came here to start something and irritate the hell out of me.  Which apparently is a talent of yours," he smirked._

_Eric let out a deep breath.  "Whatever Caitlin.  It was your macho boyfriend here, who tried to take my head off.  That's why he's got straw all over his clothes."_

_Caitlin looked sternly at Will.  "Is that true?"_

_Will looked peeved at Caitlin.  "Yeah, of course!  Cuz I always start trouble, don't I?" Will huffed and stalked away, leading a fidgety Sinbad out of the stables._

_Caitlin glared at Eric.  "Look what you did!" she grimaced._

_Eric watched her stalk away._

_"What did I do?" Eric yelled, throwing his hands up in the air._

_'Forget her!' he thought and stalked out of the barn.  _

**end of flashback**

It wasn't like he had _done _anything.  It made his blood boil.  One insinuation that it was Eric and a guilt trip for Caitlin by Will and she went running after him.

**~~~**

Eric's arm reached further and further down the already mounting mess in his locker.  Suddenly he felt the locker door slam hard against his back and head.  "Hey!" Eric exclaimed, pulling his entrenched arm out of the pit of untold darkness.

His body instantly ready to tackle the uninvited guest.  

"Hey what shorty?" Will's voice taunted.

Eric saw red.  "Hey this! You jerk!"  And Eric pushed with all his might against the dark-haired boy who stood before him, digging his shoulder into this jerk.

_Slam!_ Into the opposing row of lockers.  Eric pushed away from the stunned and out-of-breath boy.

"What the heck is going on here?" Griffin cried, adjusting the straps of his backpack on his shoulders. "Are you guys trying to get suspended or something?"

Eric glared at Will.  "Ask the loser over here.  He can't ever seem to walk in a straight line."

Griffin looked confused.  "Never mind!  Griff, are you ready to go?  The bell's going to ring soon." Eric asked, pulling a binder out of the bottom of the locker.

"Uh, you go ahead.  I'm just going to see if Will's okay."

Eric closed his eyes.  '_Why do you care if that jerk is okay?' he wanted to scream._

"Fine.  Whatever!" he shrugged, seething underneath. 

Eric walked away, glancing behind him once, to see Griffin help the agitated Will up.

"You had a LUCKY shot! Loser!" Will screamed.

Eric shook his head.  "I haven't had one, yet…" he mumbled under his breath, thinking about Caitlin.

***

Caitlin had heard about the "brawl" in the school hallway and was in search of Eric or Will.  Either one would do.  She wanted to know what was up.

_'This is getting out of hand!_' she thought to herself.

She spotted a short blonde with a skateboard under his arm.  "Eric!" Caitlin yelled down the hallway.

The Eric turned around to see who was calling for him.  When they made eye contact, he turned around and began walking at a quicker pace.  "Eric!" she yelled again.

When she finally caught up with him, she was huffing from running down and around the people in the hallway.  "Hey!" Caitlin huffed.  "Why didn't you wait for me?" she accused.

He rolled his eyes.  "Whatever.  I'm not in the mood to hear you lecture me about Will.  Just go lick your boyfriends wounds and leave me alone Caitlin."

Just as Eric turned to walk away, Caitlin caught him by the shoulder and turned him around again.  "Hey, I wasn't done.  What the heck is with you Eric?  What has Will done to you to make you ram him into the lockers?"

Eric glared at her in disbelief.   

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "Since you've been back?"

Eric sighed loudly.  "I don't need to explain to you why I hate the guy.  I just do."

He tried to walk away again.  Caitlin grabbed him again.  "That's not an answer.  I mean, I thought we were friends."

"I _thought_ we were too!" he accused.

"Then why won't you try to get along with Will?"

Eric rolled his head to the side, "You know what?  How about talkin' to your _boyfriend_ about that?  He's playin' you for a fool.  He's not an innocent victim here, and I'm tired of being painted as the bad guy.  I mean, he's the one who's burnt down stables!  Just because he didn't like his _mommy!"_

Caitlin cocked her head to one side and studied him.  _This is so unlike Eric._

"What?" Eric exclaimed.

"This isn't like you.  I mean, ya, you get pissed off sometimes, but you'd never hurt anyone."

"Caitlin, don't try to pretend you know me at all," he sneered.  "You already proved to me on Sunday what you really think of me."

Caitlin stood there in utter confusion.  _I don't get Eric.  I just don't get him at all._

****************************

Let me know what you think?  It's taking very long to get these two together…I know! I know!  Hehe!  R&R people!


	14. 14

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Fourteen 

"Griffin!" Caitlin called as she walked into the house.

"Yeah, what?" Griffin answered, sitting down a the kitchen counter eating a sandwich.

Caitlin had wanted to talk to Griffin about Eric, but forgot that she had made plans to get a ride home with Will that day.  He had to pick up his riding gloves that he'd forgotten on Sunday.

"Do you know what's up with Eric?" she huffed, dropping her backpack on the floor of the kitchen and taking the other half of Griffin's turkey sandwich.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, dismayed at the loss of part of his sandwich.

"Well?" Caitlin asked anxiously.

"I don't know," he muffled in between mouthfuls of the sandwich.

"Well, I tried to talk to him about the 'fight' today, and he kept walking away.  He's really mad and I don't get it!" she exclaimed, walking away from the counter to the cupboard to get a mug.  "It's like he's mad at me for something I did, but I didn't do anything.  I mean, I'm the one who should be mad!  Right?"

Caitlin leaned against the kitchen counter.

"I guess," Griffin said half-heartedly.  "But I can see where he's coming from.  I mean, Will hasn't exactly been Mr. Sunshine lately either.  I mean, Nikki told me that she saw Will shove Eric against his locker when Eric was getting something out of it."

"What?" Caitlin exclaimed.  "He wouldn't do that…" 

Griffin cocked his head to the side and had this questioning gaze painted on his face.  "Are you sure about that?  I mean, he is your boyfriend and I'm pretty sure he's jealous of Eric…or if not jealous, protective of his territory."

"What are you talking about?  I'm not a piece of meat.  And I do _not_ belong to Will.  Besides, Eric's just a friend."

Griffin shrugged.  "I just get the feeling it's all about you.  I mean, it's all about getting the girl."

Caitlin was speechless.  She opened her mouth to rebuke these unfounded accusations, but Caitlin found no words coming out of her mouth.  She set down the mug on the counter and slung her backpack over her shoulder.

_Eric didn't like me.  He couldn't, could he?_

***

Eric threw his backpack on his bed. 

He was tired of it all.  Part of him wished he'd never come back to High River.  So far it had brought him nothing but pain.

"Why the heck does she have to take _his _side?" he growled.

Because he's her boyfriend.

"Why do you have to remind me?" he said to himself.  Eric missed the way things were.  Griffin would hang out with Eric and he would bug Caitlin and she would get upset and in the end they would all end up laughing about it.

"Ah the good 'ole days!" Eric sighed.

Eric glanced at the clock.  Chores!  "Ugh!" he grimaced.

Eric put on his work jeans and shirt and headed out to the barn.

~~~

The bales had been almost stacked when he heard soft footsteps creeping behind him.  "Who's there?" Eric called from behind the bales of hay.

"It's just me!" Caitlin's voice yelled.

Eric rolled his eyes.  He'd just gotten her off his mind and she had to come waltzing in.  Eric had taken most of his frustrations out on the bales, which felt unusually good.

"What do you want?" he called out.

Eric listened as the footsteps neared.  His body tensed as he saw the leather jacket she always wore and her fiery red hair.

"Eric, we need to talk."

He studied her, then after a few moments, went back to hauling bales.  "What about?" he said nonchalantly.

"I want to talk to you about the fight."

Eric looked up, wiping the sweat that was forming on his brow.  "What about it?"

He was not going to apologize, although, he did wish he'd controlled his temper and not let Will get the best of him.  Eric had to admit Will was good.

"I heard that it was Will's fault and that you didn't start the fight."

He swallowed hard.  "Who told you that?"

"Griffin.  He told me Nikki saw the whole thing."

"Well, great," he deadpanned.  "Well, I guess you can be on your way than.  Thanks for the news.  I'm so glad you came over to tell me that I wasn't to blame for the fight."  His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Caitlin seemed to have had enough.  "Look Eric, I'm sorry I came to the wrong conclusion, but what else was I supposed to think?"

Eric closed his eyes and shook his head.  Looking up at her in anger, "Maybe you could have thought that it might be Will's fault.  Since when did I become this bad guy who likes to hit people?"

Caitlin shifted her weight from foot to foot.  Her hands fidgeting.  "I'm sorry," she said again.

Eric breathed a huge sigh.  "Whatever Caitlin."  Eric turned away and went back to the last couple of bales that needed to be put away.  "I'm to busy for this crap.  I've got better things to do than deal with your jealous boyfriend."

Suddenly Eric felt her cool hand on his shoulder.  "Eric, why are you really, so mad at me?" she asked softly.

Eric bit his lip.  "I already told you," he retorted, turning to face her.  She backed away at the realization of the closness of their proximity.

"Well, Griffin thinks it's because you … well, because you 'like me'."

Eric watched as she tried to say that revelation casually.  It made him laugh.  

She rolled her eyes.  "You know what?  Forget it."

Caitlin turned to walk away, but this time it was Eric who stopped her.  "Wait Caitlin," he chuckled.  "I'm sorry.  I just haven't been myself lately."

Eric ran the excuse over and over in his head, hoping that she would believe it.

Her body relaxed and she sat down on a near by stool.  Eric found a place on a stack of loose straw to sit in.  "I've just…I guess, partly I'm jealous of Will."  

The admission stunned both Eric and Caitlin.  Eric began to tread lightly on the subject.  "I mean, we used to hang out so much.  You know, you, me and Griffin.  Now you're spending so much time with Will and all.  It's just kind of weird and…"

"And you feel like he's taking me away from you guys?" she finished his sentence.

Eric nodded.  'Yeah, and the fact that I actually like you,' Eric added in his head.

He fell back on the pile of straw, putting his hands behind his head.  "Look, I'll try harder."

Caitlin slid off the stool and carefully sat down on the straw pile Eric was lying in.  "And I'll try to get Will of your back," she promised.

It was an awkward silence.  Eric suddenly got up, brushing the straw off his jeans.

Caitlin began to get up and slipped.  Eric turned around and grabbed a hold of her hand and she pulled herself up with his help.  Suddenly Eric found himself nose to nose with Caitlin.  Both of them were breathing hard.  "Thanks," she whispered.

"Uh, yeah," he nodded.

On impulse, Eric suddenly found himself pressing his lips against hers, in a sweet soft kiss.  Eric was glad when she didn't pull away and pulled her into a deeper kiss.

Suddenly the dream ended.  Caitlin jerked away with a start and turned and ran. 

"I'm sorry," Eric yelled half-heartedly.

He wasn't sorry though.  He wasn't sorry at all.  Eric bit his bottom lip in memory of the warmth of her lips on his.

Please R&R!  I hope you guys like this chapter.  ;o)  


	15. 15

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Fifteen 

Caitlin touched her lips as Bandit galloped homewards.

A kiss.  A kiss from Eric of all people!  

Her heart was racing.  Caitlin couldn't believe she'd allowed him to kiss her.  Not that she knew it was coming, but when she realized what was happening…Caitlin should have stopped it.

I gotta get home.

***

Will had tried to phone her, but Griffin kept on telling him she wasn't home.  Was she trying to avoid him?

Will shook his head.  'Nah, things were fine when I gave her a ride home,' he thought to himself.

"I guess she just had to go out," he said out loud.

***

Eric hummed to himself as he walked back to the house.

Did he really stand a chance with Caitlin after all?

***

Griffin sat at his computer thinking up a new way to become famous.  He had to make himself known now, or he'd never make it in the world.

Rrrrring.

"Hello," he said frustrated.  

Griffin spun around in his chair.  "No Will," he sighed.  "She's not home yet!"

Grrrr!  Life wasn't all about girls!

Please R&R!  I know it's short…where do you think they should go from here?  What antics will arise from the impulsive "kiss".  ;o)  


	16. 16

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Sixteen 

"Hey Caitlin," Will greeted Caitlin at her locker.  "I tried to call you last night.  Obviously Griffin forgot to tell you ."

Caitlin's hand stopped as she reached for her textbook.  She turned around and faced a smiling Will.  "Will," she panicked.  "Uh, yeah, sorry about that.  I kind of…well, was, uh, busy."

Quickly, she pulled her textbook off the top shelf of her locker and closed her locker door. 

"Why are you acting so weird?" Will asked, furrowing his brow.

"I'm, uh…I'm not acting weird," Caitlin denied awkwardly.  "I'm just, um, happy that you're here."  Caitlin plastered a smile on her face, praying that it would be enough to get Will off her back.

"You suck at lying Caitlin.  Tell me what's going on?" he whispered intensely.

_No such luck._

Caitlin rubbed the back of her neck.  She didn't know how to tell him.  Caitlin knew he was going to freak out.  As she opened her mouth, Caitlin heard the words being spoken, but it was like an out of body experience.  "Nothing.  Nothing at all."

_She had lied._  

Will shook his head and walked away.  "When you're ready to tell me the truth, you know where you can find me."

Caitlin leaned back against her the aisle of lockers and hit her head on the locker door.  "What am I going to do?"

***

Eric was torn about going to school today.  He'd hopped the bus, opting out of a ride from Griffin this morning.

_"Griffster, I'm running a little late, so I'll catch the bus," he lied._

_"Okey dokey," Griffin agreed._

Eric had managed to avoid Caitlin all day.  He knew he was in for it the moment he awoke from the reverie of the kiss.  Eric knew he was out of line kissing her yesterday, but even though he knew it, Eric still didn't regret it.

~~~

"Eric!" Caitlin yelled from the top of the stairs outside of the school.

_'Doh!  Almost made it!' Eric thought, as he stopped his escape to the bus._

He took a deep breath, ready to hear the riot act from Caitlin.  "Yeah?" he replied casually, stuffing his hands I the back pockets of his baggy jeans.

"We have to talk," Caitlin whispered conspiratorially.

Eric's eyebrows raised.  "About what?" he inquired innocently.

Caitlin rolled her eyes and shifted the weight of her backpack around, adjusting the strap.  "You _know_ about what!" she growled.  "About yesterday…."  Her voice trailed off.

Eric shook his head, feigning amnesia.  

_Always the way to go in these situations._

"Yeah, what about yesterday?"

Caitlin sighed exasperated.  "You know what about," she said through clenched teeth.  "The kiss?"

Eric knew what she'd said, but it was just above a whisper.  "What?" he replied like he was deaf in one ear.

"The kiss," she replied a little louder, looking around to see if anyone had heard.

Eric peered around, looking to see if anyone else had heard too.  The buses had been already loaded with the tired teens at the end of a day.  Eric realized that they were pretty much alone, standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the school.

"Oh," he said nonchalantly.  "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well," Caitlin paused.  She seemed to be short on words.  

"Well…" she repeated.  "Well, it _shouldn't_ have happened."

Eric watched as Caitlin's eyes darted around, almost _afraid_ to look into his.  "Look Caitlin," Eric sighed.  "I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have done it."

Caitlin rubbed her forehead and then ran her fingers through her shoulder length hair.  "Yeah," she agreed hastily.

"But I'm glad it happened," he continued to the dismay of Caitlin.

"What?" she cried.

"I'm glad it happened," Eric repeated himself. 

He hadn't intended to say it, but Eric couldn't lie to Caitlin; he didn't want to.

Caitlin seemed panicked at the reply, like she was hoping she heard it wrong.  She waited until the buses pulled away before responding.  "How can you be glad that it happened?  For pete's sake, I _have_ a boyfriend!  _You _and _I_ talked about that even, yesterday?"

Eric nodded.  His stomach did somewhat of a flip-flop.  He knew that this was going to happen, but part of him hoped it wouldn't.  That she would wonder about the kiss.  Maybe even rethink the idea of dating Will.

_No such luck._

"Yeah," he replied disheartened.  "Never mind then.  It was _all a big mistake._  I shouldn't have kissed you and you and Will belong together.  I hope you'll be very happy."

Eric began to walk home.  He had a long way to go now that he'd missed the bus.  Griffin was still here, but after the conversation he'd just had with Caitlin, Eric didn't think he could stomach the ride home.

"Eric," she called.  "Wait.  Don't take it like that."

Eric shook his head, waved his hand dismissively and continued walking.  "Whatever," he mumbled to himself.

"Eric!" she cried.  "Come on!"

He heard the quickening footsteps behind him.  "I said wait!" Caitlin yelled huffing from the quick sprint she'd ran to his side.

"Wait for what?  Look, see!  I'm waiting," Eric spat, turning around and planting his feet.

"I…" Caitlin stuttered.  She was at a loss for words.

"I have to get home.  You made me miss the _bus."_

_Eric turned and walked away.  _

_Chapter 16….how do you guys like it?  I know the show is ending now…but you can still enjoy Caitlin's Way in my Fanfic! Pls R&R!_


	17. 17

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Seventeen 

Caitlin felt miserable.  She hadn't seen or talked to either Will or Eric in a week.  Grant it, she had been quite busy with homework and helping Dori, but Caitlin hated the tension that filled the air whenever she saw Eric; and guilt when she saw Will.

Caitlin didn't know how to deal with any of this.  She'd never had a serious boyfriend before and Caitlin didn't' think it was going to be this complicated.

As she stared out the glass patio doors, Caitlin ran her hand through her hair.  "I can't think about this anymore," she said to herself out loud.

With that, Caitlin lifted the earphones that rested around her neck to her ears.

***

Eric rounded up the cattle, which lingered in the grazing fields.  He loved this time of year.  Eric tipped his felt hat up, and stared at the setting sun.  _He'd missed this!_

Just as the final cattle made its way into the fenced pen, Eric caught a dark figure riding towards him.  Eric wondered who could be riding this late in the afternoon.  Eric soon got his answer, in the form of a grey palmetto and one tall, dark-haired teenage boy.  _Will._

He did not need this.  Eric rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, signaling Jasper to head home.  He nudged his horse forward with his heels.

"Hey!" Will shouted.

Eric ignored him.  _Maybe if he pretended he didn't hear him, Will would go away._

"Hey Eric!" Will yelled again.

_No such luck._

Eric tugged the reigns to the left signaling Jasper to turn around.  As Will rode up a couple of feet from Jasper, Eric reigned in the fidgety horse.

There was silence between the riders.  Eric finally broke the tense silence.  "What do you want?" he aksed, patting Jasper's neck.  "Whoa boy."

"Stay away from Caitlin," Will warned.

"Is that what you came _all_ the way out here to say? '_Stay away from Caitlin'_?" Eric asked sarcastically.

"I'm serious," Will growled, stroking Sinbad's mane.

Eric shook his head sadly.  "You don't get it do you?" he smiled and bit his bottom lip.  "Caitlin and I are friends.  There's _no way_ I'm staying away from her.  Get it through your thick skull, we _care_ about each other."

Will dismounted off his horse and walked over to Eric.  His eyes gleamed, clouded by anger.  "_No_, you are the one who doesn't get it."  Will pointed at Eric.  "She's _my_ girlfriend.  You might weasel your slimy way into her life by being Griffin's friend, but she's only being nice.  In the _end_, she'll always want to be _alone_ with me."

Eric watched Will mounted his horse.  Eric opened his mouth to say '_The kiss we shared said something different'_, but Eric bit his tongue.  Caitlin would kill him if he'd blurted it out, and they weren't on good terms already because of that kiss.

_How's it going my legion of CW fans?  I hope this is going okay.  Seems in character? Pls. R&R_


	18. 18

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Seventeen 

"You what?"  Will shouted.

Caitlin was taken aback by Will's burst of anger.  "When I was at Eric's, he kissed me," she said meekly.

She knew that this moment was going to happen, but Caitlin didn't realize Will was going to fly off the handle.  After school on Tuesday, Caitlin worked up the nerve to ask Will to go riding with her.  She decided it was best that she told him alone.  Caitlin had felt guilty when Will became excited at the idea.

_"Yeah! Great.  I mean, I never get to see you anymore," Will exclaimed and kissed her on the cheek._

"And why were you at Eric's again?" Will asked through clenched teeth.

Caitlin looked up at Will as he glared at her.  "I went to apologize for accusing him of something.  Something you did," she exclaimed angrily.

"What?" Will shouted, doing a double take.  "Why were you apologizing for _me_?"

"Because you started the fight last Wednesday and I yelled at for starting it."

Will shook his head.  "And now you're going to blame me for the fight?" he asked in disbelief.

"Will, Nikki saw the whole thing!" Caitlin replied in irritation.  "You shoved Eric into his locker."

Will rolled his eyes and waved his hand in the air, dismissing the so-called testimony.  "Whatever," he retorted.  "This still doesn't tell me how you got from that to _sucking face_ with the loser!"

Caitlin swallowed hard -- back to the real problem.  "I…I," she stuttered, "It just happened."

She tried to explain it to Will, but it really wasn't clear in her own head what had really happened.  She had been apologizing and all of the sudden Eric was kissing her.  "I'm sorry," she offered lamely.

"Sorry doesn't cut it," Will spat.

Caitlin watched as he turned his back on her, his whole body tensing in anger.

"It didn't mean anything," she denied.  "It just happened.  I've told Eric that it was a mistake."

Caitlin walked over to Will, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Will shrugged her hand off his shoulder and turned around.  His eyes were clouded and angry.  "And I'm _sure _he believes that," Will accused.  "I thought we were solid Caitlin."

"We _are_," Caitlin exclaimed quickly.  "It was _just_ a _kiss_."

Caitlin knew it was wrong to kiss Eric, but it wasn't like she was dating the guy.

"I can't talk about it," Will grimaced.  "Just…just don't talk to me."

Caitlin closed her eyes as Will mounted Sinbad and rode away.

_What was wrong with her?_

_Soooo?  How's it going so far?  I think this turn of events will have some pretty drastic consequences…don't you? ;o)_


	19. 19

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Nineteen 

Will and Eric had been avoiding Caitlin for about a straight month, other than certain strained hellos and glares.  Eric didn't even catch rides with Griffin anymore.  And if Griffin wanted to see Eric, he had to go over to Eric's house or make sure that Caitlin wouldn't be home.  "Eric," Griffin sighed.  "This is getting ridiculous, don't you think?"

Griffin watched his blonde friend strap on his snowboard.  The first snow had come and gone and now there was finally enough snow to carve some decent runs.  "What are you talking about?" Eric asked casually.

"This!" Griffin gestured to Caitlin who was taking pictures of the landscape out by the ski hill.  "You two haven't talked for a month!  And if you think I'm going to your house again or double checking if Caitlin's home so you can come over without seeing her, you can _forget it."_

Eric shrugged his shoulders.  "Don't know what you're talking about man."

Griffin grabbed Eric by the arm.  "Look she told him.  And Will's acting about as bad as you.  It's not like she did anything to you.  You kissed her, which still gives me nightmares, by the way, but I accept it as a friend, and she rejected you.  Now you've got to get over it.  You guys have been friends for a while now and I can't stand to watch you ignore each other.  What did you expect?  She _was dating Will, and they were totally into each other before you left.  I don't know what you have to be upset over."_

Eric shrugged off Griffin's hand and all Griffin could do is watch Eric snowboard down the hill.

_Obviously not the right thing to say!_

***

Caitlin had accepted it.  She'd gotten over her anger at Eric for kissing her and Will's unforgiving attitude at the brief and _meaningless kiss.  Caitlin didn't need that kind of grief.  She just didn't._

Christmas was coming fast and Caitlin had begun to let that idea take her focus off the Eric and Will fiasco.  The landscape pictures at the slope would hopefully pay for some of her Christmas presents.  Mr. Bailey, at the hill, said he would use them in his ads for the season if they were good enough.  Caitlin smiled in assurance.  "_They'll be great Mr. Bailey!"_

"Hey Caitlin!" Griffin called as he stalked over with his snowboard in hand.  "Have you seen Nikki?"

Caitlin shook her head.  The slope was teeming with kids from school and chaperoning adults.  "Nope!"

Griffin fell back onto a snow bank.  "I just tried to talk to Eric about you, but he blew me off," he sighed.

Caitlin looked at him apologetically.  "Sorry for dragging you into this mess too."

"I just don't get it.  What?  Did Eric get hit over the head before deciding to kiss you?  No offense," Griffin smiled.

"Of course not," Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Well I just don't get it.  It's not like you guys were really, really close.  I mean you were friends, but you never told him you liked him in that way did you?  You didn't even like the kiss right?"

Caitlin focused on a couple getting on a s lift, taking a couple of shots.  "Uh, no," she replied quickly.

"So why would he get so mad at you?" Griffin asked incredulously.

Slowly lowering the camera from her face, Caitlin shrugged.  "I don't know.  Maybe he's embarrassed?"

"No, he's not acting like he's embarrassed.  It's like you did or said something unforgivable, or something," Griffin explained.

Caitlin had missed Eric _a lot the past month.  There was no BS between them and she loved how he could make her laugh.  Caitlin pushed the thought out of her mind.  "Griff, I've gotta go.  There's a couple of shots I want to get in before it gets dark," she lied, excusing herself to walk down the hill._

"Sure," Griff called.

Caitlin fingered her camera as she wrestled with the memory of the kiss.  It had been haunting her for weeks.

***

Eric had made himself promise to stay away from Caitlin.  First so that both he and Caitlin could calm down from their last talk; and secondly, Eric wanted to see how things panned out between Will and Caitlin.  

He had been stupid to kiss her that day.  She had been dating Will.  If he wanted to have some sort of relationship with Caitlin, it would have to be free from Will-related problems.

Eric felt the crisp snow give way under the weight of his board.  As he carved down the slope, Eric let his thoughts go as he flew down the hill.

How is this going?  Almost finished and I need some input!  Please R&R!


	20. 20

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty 

Christmas had been quite busy with relatives visiting and hanging out with friends.  Griffin didn't seem to notice how fast the break went by.  He had been pretty occupied with the whole unresolved tension between Eric and Caitlin.  It had let up during the break, since it was Christmas and all.  They had finally gotten to the point of being able to be in the same room without one of them leaving.  To Griffin, that was an improvement.

"Caitlin, have you got all your gifts under the tree yet?" Griffin yelled, rummaging through the various gift-wrapped boxes under the tree.

He'd spotted two from his mom and dad, but there wasn't one from Caitlin.  Griffin always appreciated Caitlin's gifts because she seemed to have decent taste and it usually was music.

"Griffin, stop going through all the presents!" Dori yelled from the kitchen.

"I'm just _looking!_" Griffin replied defensively.

"Yeah sure you are," Caitlin drawled as she bounded down the stairs and headed into the kitchen.  "If you're looking for my present, I haven't gotten it yet!"

Griffin looked up from the tree.  "What do you mean you haven't gotten it yet?  Mom's and Dad's are here!"

"Well, maybe they were good this year!" Caitlin chuckled as she took a swig of OJ.

"Not fair!  I was good to you this year!" Griffin pouted.  "Didn't I help you with the whole Eric and Will mess?  Plus, it's two days away!"

Griffin scratched his head and smiled sheepishly as Caitlin glared at him and then rolled her eyes.  "Whatever!" Caitlin sighed.  "Dori, is Jim going into town this morning?"

Dori looked up from the frying pan, spatula in hand.  "I think so.  If he is, I think he would be leaving now.  Run outside and see if he's out by the truck."

Caitlin grabbed her leather jacket and down the front steps.  "Jim!" Caitlin called as the young, almost father figure, slid into the government vehicle.

Jim looked up and waved Caitlin into the vehicle.  "Good thing you caught me," Jim smiled.  "I was just about to leave."

Caitlin slumped into the seat and pulled the beige seatbelt across her chest.  "I just need a ride into town.  I have to pick up Griffin's present today."

Jim smirked.  "His nagging is getting to you, huh?"

Caitlin rolled his eyes.  "If I have to listen to Griffin tell me one more time how deserving he is of a gift for this Christmas season I think I might strangle him."

"So what are you getting him?" Jim inquired as he drove out of the driveway, onto the gravel road.

"I'm thinking of getting him a gift certificate at the board shop.  You know, that way if he needs like new straps or boots; maybe a new helmet or something, he could just pick it out."

"Sounds like a plan," Jim nodded.  "Hey, I know it's none of my business and if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, but have you patched things up with Eric or Will?"

Caitlin stared out the window.  "Looks like we'll get more snow tomorrow."  She hoped he'd take the hint.

Jim sighed.  "All right.  You don't want to talk about it, but can I just say that it takes a pretty big person to make the first step.  I know how much you cared for Will and how much you cared for Eric.  If you don't take a shot at clearing things up, I think you'll regret it."

Caitlin ran her fingers through her newly died locks.  "Can we not talk about it?" Caitlin mumbled as she began clutching the door handle.

Jim shrugged and pulled up to the Sheriff's office.  "Okay, but think about it Caitlin."

As soon as the vehicle stopped moving, Caitlin sprung from the warmth of the car and into the crisp morning air.  "See ya!" Caitlin called as she headed towards Dean's Sportin' Good Fun.

Caitlin wasn't much of a sports fanatic, other than the occasional game of football at the Lowe's farm and the school soccer team.  So she never quite had the need to hang out at Sportin' Fun as much as Griffin and Eric did.  It was a compilation of the newest sports equipment and also gear.

As she began perusing the merchandise, Caitlin heard a familiar laugh.

"Ha!  You call that a decent price?  Dude, I could get that cheaper, out of a catalogue."

_Eric?_

Caitlin hadn't imagined she would run into Eric today.  She thought she'd recalled Eric mentioning going away for part of the Christmas break.

"Hey look, that's the sale price on the ticket, that's the sale's price!" Dean stated firmly.

Caitlin meandered out of the maze of clothing racks to find herself at the front counter.  Dean was standing behind the till holding a cobalt blue snowboard, tag in hand.  On the other side of the till was Eric, trying to stare the price gouging retail owner down.

"Do you want it or not?" Dean asked.

"$175," Eric offered.

Dean shook his head and pointed to the price tag.  "$250."

"$195?" Eric countered.

Dean shook his head again.  "$250!  That's the price."

Eric shook his head.  "Fine.  $225 and that's as high as I'll go!" Eric stated.

Caitlin watched Dean crack under Eric's intense gaze.  "I'm being _way_ too nice, but it's Christmas and I'm feeling generous today," Dean sighed.  "All right.  You've got a deal.  $225."

Caitlin couldn't help but shake her head as Eric grinned, turned around and leaned back on the counter as Dean went to find the board in the back.

***

"You're pretty good at haggling," Caitlin called, walking up to the counter.

Eric pulled himself upright as he finally noticed the auburn-haired girl staring at him.  "Uh, hey!" Eric replied, as he fumbled with his hands, trying to figure out where he should put them.

"Hey."

Eric hadn't expected Caitlin to be here.  She wasn't the short to hang out in a sporting goods store.  "What are you doing here?" he asked coolly.

"I'm picking up Griffin's present," Caitlin replied awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah.  Well, um, what are you getting him?"

"A gift certificate.  Exciting huh?"

Eric smirked.  "Yeah, that's one exciting gift there!" 

Dean slipped in behind the till and punched in the purchase.  "That'll be $225."

Eric pulled out his wallet and handed Dean his debit card.  As he finished the purchase and Eric folded his new snowboard under his arm, he waved Caitlin towards the till.  Eric stood and watched as Caitlin paid for the gift certificate.

"So, is that for you?" Caitlin asked, motioning to the snowboard.

Eric nodded.  "Yeah, my parents gave it to me for an early Christmas present.  Mine's getting a little worn.  They thought I'd rather pick one out than have them pick one for me.  Thank God for that!" Eric joked.

Caitlin smiled.  It was just something little, but it reminded Eric how much he'd missed her.  "So why didn't they just give you a gift certificate? Or at least wait till after Christmas and the Boxing Day sales?"

Eric took a deep breath and sighed.  Suddenly behind him an older woman excused herself to have access to the cash counter.  Eric motioned towards the door and followed Caitlin outside.

The crisp morning breeze hit both of them unexpectedly and they gasped for breath.  Eric and Caitlin began walking down the street.  "My parents are going to be gone for the rest of the week and actually, they won't be home for Christmas."

Caitlin frowned at Eric.  "What do you mean?  I thought you and your parents were going away for Christmas break?"

Eric shrugged.  "Something came up and they told me yesterday that they'll be gone for a few days on business in Colorado and off they went."

Eric had been quite disappointed.  Their family had always spent Christmas together, for as long as he could remember.

"That's horrible," Caitlin sympathized.

"Whatcha gonna do?  Such is life!  Hey, are you done here in town?  Or are you catching a ride back with Jim?" Eric inquired, slowing down as they rounded the street corner.

"Uh, no.  I'm done.  Why?" Caitlin asked.

"Well, I've got the truck if you want a ride home.  I want to show Griffin my board anyway."

Caitlin seemed to ponder the offer for a moment.  "Um sure.  If it's no trouble."

Eric shrugged and opened the door of the black Dodge parked in front of them.  "Get in.  We can stop by the Sheriff's office and let Jim know that you're getting a ride back with me."

"Eric, thank you."

Caitlin's eyes seem to pierce the wall Eric had built in the past month and the stones seemed to be crumbling around him.  "No problem.  What are friends for?" Eric mumbled, putting the key in the ignition and listening to the engine roar to life.


	21. 21

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty One 

Caitlin couldn't stand the silence between them.  They'd been driving for a while now and nothing but nothing came to mind.  It was like her mind was drawing a blank when it came to interesting conversation.  

When in actual truth, a certain topic had been nagging her all the while.  Caitlin took a deep breath.  "Eric?"  Caitlin looked at the teenage driver expectantly.  "I think we need to talk about the past couple of months."

Caitlin watched as Griffin's shoulders tensed at the mention of the uneasy topic.  He didn't respond.  "Look Eric.  I'm sorry.  I didn't mean for everything to get out of hand the way it did.  I mean, I don't even know why we're not speaking anymore."

Eric licked his lips and continued to look straight ahead.  Caitlin turned her body until she was looking straight ahead of her.  _Well she tried._

"I'm sorry too."

The words that came out of Eric's mouth seemed to echo through her thoughts.  _Had he really apologized?  And what for?_

Caitlin swallowed hard and shifted her body until she faced the focused driver, his knuckles white from tightly clutching the steering wheel.  "Eric, what are you sorry for?"

Her whole body tensed at the hope of renewing one relationship that had been absent for months.

"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble between you and Will," Eric explained, hesitantly.  "I shouldn't have…well, I shouldn't have, well, uh, been kissing you.  Especially since I knew you and Will were a '_couple'_."

Caitlin watched Eric grimace at the words.  This was hard for him to say, and it was _actually_ hard for Caitlin to hear.  _It wasn't all his fault.  You kissed him back._

"It's not all your fault Eric.  I mean, I was there too.  I shouldn't have kissed you back."  Caitlin sat straight ahead again.

_There.  She'd said it.  She had admitted it.  She, Caitlin Seager had kissed Eric back_.

"Well," Eric mumbled.  "Where does that leave us?  I mean, we're friends again?"

Eric's clear pale blue eyes seemed to see right through her.  Caitlin ran her fingers through her hair.  Licking her lips, Caitlin replied slowly.  "I don't…I don't know.  I hope we're friends.  I mean, that's what we were before this thing happened.  And now that it's done with, it's good we're friends again…right?"

Caitlin peered over her shoulder and watched the Eric's eyes cloud over.  In some way, he seemed disappointed with her response.  "Isn't that what you…_we_ want?" Caitlin asked expectantly.

Eric swallowed and took a deep breath.  "Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head.  "That's _exactly_ what we wanted.  It was just a stupid mistake.  Must have been some hormonal imbalance!"

Caitlin laughed at the somewhat awkward joke.  She didn't know what to make of her feelings during this conversation.  Caitlin was ecstatic that she and Eric had somewhat managed to patch things up, but a part of her felt like she had missed out on something.  As she stared at Eric, Caitlin couldn't explain the unexplainable sense of loss she felt over, well, _just being friends_.

***

Eric's heart leapt when he'd seen Caitlin that morning.  It hadn't taken very long for her to get under his defenses.  As much as he'd been angry and disappointed at her, Eric couldn't help but miss the feisty 17 year old.

It had been a tiring conversation, trying to figure out how to repair the damage of their misguided friendship.  And Eric had been disappointed at the decision to just remain friends.  Not that he wasn't glad to be her friend again, but in the end, Caitlin had sounded definite about the boundaries of their close relationship and anything more than friendship seemed an impossibility.

As Eric pulled into the Lowe's yard, Eric's gaze met Caitlin's for a moment, just before they exited the truck.  It was almost unexplainable what seemed to pass between them for a split second.  Even Eric himself wasn't quite sure, but part of him seemed to be filled with a renewed sense of hope.

"Hey Eric!" Griffin yelled from the Lowe's porch.  "What are you doing here?"

Eric exited the truck and grinned.  "Thought I'd show you my excellent new snowboard dude!"

Eric watched Griffin sprint towards the truck as he pulled the cobalt blue beauty out of the back of the truck.  "What do ya think?" Eric smirked.

"Wow!  Did you get it for Christmas?" Griffin asked.

But as Griffin rambled on as he admired Eric's new board, Eric was preoccupied watching Caitlin walk up to the porch.  She turned around and met his gaze.  It was almost as if Caitlin knew he was watching her.  Eric quickly returned to his babbling friend.  "Huh?"

"I said, when are you going to try it out?" Griffin repeated exasperated with his distracted friend.

"I was thinking the day after tomorrow.  Cuz Christmas is tomorrow you know?"

Griffin frowned for a moment.  "Hey?  How come you're not with your folks?"

Eric sighed.  "Cuz they're gone for a couple of days.  That's why I got my Christmas present early."

Griffin bit his lip for a moment and then replaced the frown on his face with an excited grin.  "You can stay here for Christmas!  Until your parents get back.  I mean, I'm sure my Mom and Dad won't mind."

Eric thought about it for a moment.  "I don't know," he hesitated.

Griffin rolled his eyes.  "If it's Caitlin you're worried about, I'm sure she'll understand.  As much as you guys are fighting, I don't think she would want you to be alone for Christmas."

Eric shrugged.  "Aiight dude.  If it's okay with your parents then I'll stay!" he grinned.  "I'll have to go get my stuff though."

Griffin draped his arm around Eric's shoulder and guided him into the house.  "Great!  I'm so glad Christmas is here.  What a time to mend fences and stop acting like kids!" Griffin sighed.  "You and Caitlin better get your act together.  Half the school year has gone and I'm not willing to go through another month of the silent treatment."

Eric shook his head.  "I think me and Caitlin have got a couple of things sorted out," Eric explained.  "We no longer have to avoid her at any cost."

Griffin shook his head and laughed.  "But that was the fun part!"

Eric smirked and shoved Griffin into the nice warm house.


	22. 22

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Two 

The wintery morning had almost deterred him from the task at hand.  As he picked up a buried stone, Will took a deep breath and heaved it at the window.  After a couple more stones, Will finally saw a touch of movement.  It was a couple more minutes before the porch door opened, revealing a shivering and groggy Caitlin.

She had her hand tucked inside her pink flannel cow pajamas, and as she looked at Will, Caitlin rubbed her sleepy eyes.  "Will?" she said confused.  "What are you doing here?"

He felt foolish for coming.  It had been months since Will had even acknowledged Caitlin.  He'd gone about his business and tried his best not to think about her.  Finally last night after watching '_It's a Wonderful Life'_ for the hundredth time, Will had come to the conclusion that the situation had gotten way out of hand.  Will wasn't ready to give up on his relationship with Caitlin.

"I need to talk to you," he stated, dismounting Sinbad.

"Wait," Caitlin whispered and then suddenly disappeared from the door.

After a few minutes, Caitlin reappeared with earmuffs, Jim's winter coat, that had Sheriff embroidered on the shoulder, and gloves.  Caitlin walked to the front of the porch, and stood at the top of the stairs.  "What…what are you doing here?" Caitlin asked again, shuffling her feet.

The words seemed to lodge in Will's throat and he seemed to stand in the new fallen snow, speechless.  Will took a few steps forward, trying to find his voice.  "Merry Christmas?" he said sheepishly.  Judging from Caitlin's response, Will could tell it wouldn't be enough.  "Did I also mention how stupid I've been acting lately?"

Suddenly Caitlin's body seemed to release a hidden weight.  She took a step down and brushed away the fallen snow from a small area on the porch.  Caitlin sat down.  "What do you think I'm supposed to say to that Will?" Caitlin sighed.

Will found a place beside her on the porch.  He swallowed before answering.  "You could say great and forget what a jerk I've been?" Will joked, hoping that it might actually happen.  He just wanted to forget about the kiss and Eric.

Caitlin shook her head.  "I…I don't think it's that easy," she replied.  "Maybe if it had been a couple of weeks, but _two months_ Will!"

Will leaned back and looked up into the clear blue sky.  "I know," he sighed. "I didn't think it would be this hard for me to get over this.  A few days turned into weeks and then suddenly months.  I didn't mean for it to get this messed up."

Will felt empty after their conversation in the countryside that day.  Part of him thought Caitlin was the reason for the aching, so he just simply stayed away.  But as the weeks passed by, the emptiness seemed to grow and expand.  Nothing seemed to help.

"Things aren't the same between us," Caitlin whispered.

The words struck deep.  He'd messed up badly.  Will lifted his right leg up on the porch and looked into Caitlin's eyes.  "I'm sorry," he whispered, taking her hands in his.  "Please give me a second chance."

***

Never had Caitlin wanted to do something so badly. '_Give him a chance!'_ a little voice cried.

Caitlin gazed into Will's brown eyes.  They pleaded with her as his words did.  _Why can't I give him a second chance?_

She couldn't understand the gut feeling in her stomach.  It seemed to protest the slightest notion of getting together with Will.  Caitlin couldn't quite explain it._  Tell him the whole truth._

"Will before I say anything about that, I have to tell you the truth," Caitlin said carefully.

Caitlin stood up rubbing her numb legs; the affect of the cold weather enveloped her.  Nervously adjusting her earmuffs, Caitlin took a deep breath.  _Just say it!_

Will joined her on the porch, drawing nearer to her.  "What?" he asked, warming his thinly gloved hands with his hot breath.

Exhaling, the frosty air mingled with her warm breath creating a white cloud.  "I liked it," Caitlin blurted out suddenly.  "I mean…"

Caitlin stared at the somber Will.  Anxious for his thoughts, Caitlin paced on the porch and began rambling.  "I mean, I didn't _like_ it, it's just, well, it wasn't a quick kiss like I might have led you to believe," she explained, trying to gage what kind of damage she was doing to any chance of a relationship she might or could have had with Will.  "I kissed him back."  She said finally.

_There she'd said it._

Silence abounded and it worried Caitlin.  She'd never seen Will this calm before.  "Say something," Caitlin exclaimed.

Will rubbed his face, which was reddened from the cold.  "What…what can I say?" he sputtered.  "Obviously it was stupid of me to come here.  I was right the first time.  I should have my losses the first time."

Caitlin watched as Will began backing away from her.  "Will," she called to him, the hurt in his eyes haunted her.  "Please, I'm sorry."  
  


"Sorry for what?" Will cried, throwing his arms up into the air.

"I should have told you the first time," she explained timidly.

"No need.  I mean I'm not hurt!" Will exclaimed backing down the porch steps.  "You give yourself too much credit.  I'm just embarrassed that I bothered to come here in the first place."

Caitlin's heart drowned at the sound of the pain and hurt in Will's voice.

"Eric can have you!" he yelled as he mounted Sinbad.

Caitlin's head jerked up.  She walked down the porch steps and grabbed Sinbad's bridle.  "I'm not _with_ Eric," Caitlin spat as she looked up at Will.  "Don't put words in my mouth."

Will glared down at her, his eyes shooting darts at her.  "Well if you liked kissing him so much," Will said through gritted teeth, his voice laced with venom, "I should think you're already together.  Of course, you could be just leading him on like you did with me, until you decide you like kissing someone else more!"

Caitlin was stunned at his contempt for her that she didn't notice Will reigning in Sinbad and nudging him quickly towards the road.  The force of the horse and the change in direction flung Caitlin to the ground.  She watched Will ride towards the warm bright sun.

***

"Caitlin!" Eric called from the porch.

He'd awakened to raised voices coming from outside.  By the time Eric had gotten his coat and boots on, he'd arrived in time to see Caitlin falling to the ground as Will rode away.

Eric stood behind her and grabbed Caitlin from under her arms and pulled her up.  "Are you okay?" Eric asked.

Caitlin nodded her head as she continued to gaze toward where Will was last seen.  After taking one last glance, Caitlin brushed the clinging snow from her pajama bottoms and looked up at Eric.  "Yeah," she replied dismissively.  "I'm fine."

He could hear the pounding of footsteps and groggy voices coming from the house.  Eric guessed that the yelling had awakened more than just him.  "Are you sure?" he asked once more.

Caitlin sighed and smiled half-heartedly.

Eric nodded and walked her back into the house.  Somehow Eric knew that this wasn't the right time to ask her what had happened.

Please read and review!


	23. 23

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Three 

The house was bustling with activity as the Lowes prepared Christmas dinner.  Dori had prepared a feast of turkey with stuffing, yams, mashed potatoes, the whole works.  Caitlin loved this time of the year.  There was fresh snow on the ground and everyone seemed happy and filled with anticipation.  Anything could happen during Christmas.

As Caitlin and the rest of the family waited for the turkey to be done, she, the family and Eric went outside and fooled around in the snow.

"Let's build a snowman!" Dori exclaimed excitedly.

Caitlin and Griffin looked at each other in horror.  "A snowman Mom?  Come on!" Griffin groaned.  "That's so lame!"

Dori shrugged her shoulders bent down and picked up a handful of snow.  She molded the wet, frozen medium into a ball.  Caitlin moved away from Griffin.  From the glint in Dori's eye, she knew that something was up.

"Lame?" Dori asked mischievously.  "How's this for lame?"

Dori wound her arm up like a pitcher for the Mets and hucked the now firm snowball.  SPLAT!  The wet ball tagged it's target on the back of the neck.

"Hey!" Griffin screamed.  "What's the big idea?"

Caitlin felt Jim's arm around her shoulders and looked up at her 'almost dad'.  They both laughed heartily as Griffin squirmed and squealed trying to get the snow off his neck and out of his coat.  "Hey, good arm Dori!" Caitlin laughed.

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Caitlin noticed Eric sitting on the porch step.  Jim had also apparently noticed Eric and motioned with his head toward the somber boy.  Caitlin slowly made her way to the porch, still smiling as Dori offered to help with the evasive snow in his coat and Griffin's wild protests.

"Hey, what's up?" Caitlin called, sitting down on the step below Eric.

"Nothing," he sighed.

"Aw, come on.  You're sitting here all quiet while Griffin's…oh, getting more snow stuffed down his coat," Caitlin commented, as she watched Dori giving up and turning on her only son.  "You're not even breaking a smile!"

Eric shrugged his shoulders.  "I guess I'm just not used to Christmas here.  I mean, we usually open presents first thing and then have dinner afterwards.  My grandparents usually give us a call around dessert.  It's just…well, different here."

Caitlin felt for Eric.  She knew her first Christmas at the Lowes had been a little overwhelming.  Caitlin had never truly experienced a 'family Christmas' since her mother had died.  She knew it had to be hard for Eric and Caitlin was positive he was missing his parents a lot.

"Do you know where your parents are staying?" Caitlin asked.

Eric looked up at Dori and Jim wrestling in the snow and Griffin about to do a belly flop on both of them.  "Yeah.  I think they're at the Hotel Region?" he mumbled.

Caitlin reached down to the ground and picked up a handful of snow.  "Do you think they would be there right now?"

Eric shrugged.  "I don't know.  Probably.  Why?"

Caitlin smoothed the hand packed snowball in her gloved hands.  "Well, would you want to call them?  You know, just to say Merry Christmas?  I mean, maybe they've called at the house, but you were here?"

Eric seemed to sit up a little straighter and a smile appeared upon his face.  "Do you think they would mind?" Eric asked, motioning to Dori and Jim.

"I doubt it!" Caitlin replied.  "Just a second."

Caitlin climbed down the porch steps and jogged over to the snow laden family.  "Uh, Jim?"

The town sheriff looked up entangled in a pile of limbs.  "Yeah?  Did you find out what's wrong with Eric?" he asked laughing.

Griffin's head popped out from under the pile of snow on top of him.  "What?  Something's wrong with Eric?"

Dori got up from the struggling Griffin and brushed the snow off of her hair.  "Is there something we can do?" she asked concernedly.

Caitlin shook her head and smiled.  "It's not a big deal.  He's just missing his parents.  I was wondering if he could give them a call.  I think that would help a lot."

The Lowes shrugged their shoulders.  "Yeah," Jim exclaimed.  "By all means.  Go ahead.  Give your folks a call!"

As Jim called over his agreement at the idea, Eric smiled and hopped up the stairs and into the house.

"Thanks Jim." Caitlin smiled and suddenly pulled out her snowball and hucked it at Dori.

***

Eric bid his parents farewell on the phone, when he heard the porch door slam.  "Yeah, I love you too," Eric mumbled into the phone.

As he placed the phone back on its receiver, Eric peered up and found Caitlin and Griffin grabbing a couple of mugs.  "Hey, are you making some cocoa?" Eric smiled greedily.

"Yeah, you want some?" Griffin called.

"Of course.  Dude, did you even have to ask?" Eric grinned and sat himself down on a stool.

"Did you get to say Merry Christmas to your parents?" Caitlin asked while setting down the kettle on the stove.

"Yeah.  And they say Merry Christmas to you guys," Eric stated.

"Hey, why should you get any cocoa?" Griffin whined, wiping off the melted snow off his face.  "You weren't even in the snow!"

Eric smirked.  "Well, I'm just lucky I guess!"

Griffin and Caitlin disappeared out the door for a moment.  As they returned, Griffin huddled near Caitlin by the sink.

Eric suddenly noticed a mischievous glint pass over Griffin's face.  "Don't even _think_ about it Griff!" Eric warned putting up his hands and sliding off the stool.

Griffin slowly approached Eric with his hand behind his back.  Caitlin shook her head.  "Griffin, stop being so immature!" Caitlin suddenly called.

"Yeah Griff, you should listen to Caitlin!" Eric called, backing into the living room. 

Eric tried to put distance between himself and Griffin but this was Griffin's house, and Eric wasn't good at maneuvering around the furniture.  He walked around the couch so that it came between himself and his snow wielding best friend.  Suddenly he noticed Caitlin come to his side.  "You gonna help?" Eric asked.

Caitlin nodded and smiled at Griffin.  "Hey!  Not fair!" Griffin protested.

"All's fair in snow and games!" Eric sang.  Eric turned to Caitlin to develop a strategy.  "You block Griff and I'll disarm him…okay?"

Caitlin bit her lip and nodded.  Eric counted to three, "One, twwwwooo, and three!"

Caitlin approached Griffin, who oddly enough, didn't run from her, Eric noticed.  "I need some help!" Caitlin called as she tried to grasp the flailing Griffin.

Eric piled on top of Griffin, still firmly gripping the snowball in his hand.  As he pinned down his best friend, Eric called to Caitlin.  "Now get the snowball!" he smirked.

Griffin didn't seem to try to resist when Caitlin took the snowball out of his hand.  When Eric was about to order Caitlin to put it down Griffin's shirt, Eric noticed a glint in Caitlin's eye, that hadn't been there before.  Suddenly Eric realized he'd been played.  He tried to leap off of Griffin, but Griffin had grabbed his wrists during the revelation.

The snow felt ice cold on his warm back.  Eric could feel it melting down his back and he pulled out of Griffin's grasp.  "You losers!" Eric cried, jumping up and down, trying to dislodge the snow from his shirt. 

Finally the chunks of snow had been removed and Eric gazed on the two conspirators.  "Oh, you'll pay for that!" Eric warned and gave a maniacal laugh.

Griffin made a mad dash to the door.  He'd left his shoes on so he could sprint out into the snow.  Caitlin on the other hand had taken off her shoes.  Eric eyed the frozen Caitlin.  They were at a stand off.  As Eric looked around, he noticed a glass of water sitting on the end table beside the couch.  He slowly made his way towards the glass, keeping his eye on Caitlin.  Eric smiled widely when his fingers wrapped around the retaliatory weapon.  

Caitlin made a insane sprint up to her room.  Eric followed behind and quickly caught up.  As she rounded the corner into her room, Eric was at her heels.  Just when Eric was about to reach out and grab her, the door slammed in his face.  The shock of the door, sent Eric reeling to the floor, but with the glass still in hand, although half the glass was on the carpet.  "Oof!"

Eric rubbed his nose for a moment, still splayed on the floor.  He noticed the door open a bit and then more as Caitlin saw Eric on the floor.  He smiled to himself, stealthily sliding the glass behind his back.

"Are you all right?" Caitlin asked concerned.

Eric waited till Caitlin had kneeled beside him to see if he was all right.  He nodded his head.  "I'm fine!" he grinned and then he pounced.  Knocking Caitlin over, Eric pinned Caitlin down and grabbed the half empty glass of water.  Caitlin's arms flailed as she tried to push Eric's looming arm away.  Inevitably, Eric's strong arm and determination won out and he managed to pay the conspirator back.

"You…you!" Caitlin sputtered as the water streamed over her face.

"You, you what?" Eric laughed evilly.  "Payback sucks…doesn't it?"

Eric rose from the floor and reached out his arm.  Caitlin looked up at him, her hair dripping with water.  She wiped the water out of her face and glared.  Reluctantly Caitlin took Eric's hand and he pulled her up.  She didn't weigh as much as he'd thought and suddenly he was face to face with Caitlin, their noses just inches away from each other.

"Caitlin!  Eric!  Stop fooling around and get down here!" Dori called.  "Dinner's ready!"

Tell me how this one went!  R&R please!


	24. 24

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Four 

Dinner was delicious.  Eric had thought this Christmas would be a dud.  He'd already chalked up the year to being horrible and wishing he could have stayed in Colorado.  But things seemed to be turning around.  The Lowes had always been like a second family to Eric.  He spent so much time with Griffin; he could have sworn he was his brother.  As Eric surveyed the food-laden table, Eric couldn't help but well up with happiness.

Suddenly his eyes fell upon Caitlin.  The past months since his return from Colorado had been unexpected to say the least.  Eric never would have imagined the turn in events where Caitlin was concerned.  It had been quite promising until Will became an obstacle in their growing friendship.  Eric imagined it was a big shock to both of them when he had returned.

Unfortunately Eric assumed things would be exactly the same when he returned.  But life was full of changes and surprises.  Griffin was a friend with Will and Caitlin was then dating Will.  In some ways Eric regretted ever leaving, but he didn't have a choice.

Now Eric was surrounded by the Lowes again, and though Griffin and Will continued to hangout from time to time, he and Griffin were as tight as ever.  Both Griffin and Eric planned to attend U of M after graduation.  Griffin would go for his BA in Business and Eric planned to get his degree in agriculture.  They chose the university closest to High River, and planned on taking many trips home.  Eric had an obligation to his father's ranch and he didn't want to shirk that responsibility when he would eventually be taking over the ranch.

His relationship with Caitlin on the other hand, was tentative at best.  Eric didn't really know what to make of his feelings for the fiery redhead.  He knew that he'd never felt this way about another girl before, but Eric was hesitant to make any further moves.  The kiss in itself was a fiasco, and Eric didn't want to strain their relationship more than he'd already done.

Eric sighed.  The Lowes' raucous laughter and conversation filled the room. 

"Hey anyone up for dessert?" Dori smiled knowingly.

Eric's eyes rolled back and he let out a deep breath.  "Oh guys I don't think I could eat another bite, so better count me out on this one!" he laughed.

Dori nudged Griffin.  "Even if it's Double Mocha Choca fudge?" Griffin smirked.

Eric sat up.  "Oh, ah, I didn't know it was that!" Eric exclaimed.

Dori's fudge was Eric's main reason for living.  _Okay, he may be exaggerating._  But it was definitely a strong contender among the reasons Eric hung out at the Lowes.  That and he didn't mind hanging with Griffin.  Eric belched and rubbed his stomach.  "Maybe I can find room for such a dessert, since you took the _trouble_ to make it and all!" Eric grinned mischievously.

Dori rose from the table and patted him on the back.  "I thought you _might_!" Dori laughed.

~~~

After dinner Eric felt like he was going to explode.  He excused himself from the table and stalked up the stairs to Griffin's room.  Eric began throwing clothes up off the floor in search of his backpack.  After the time he'd spent with Caitlin, Eric decided he would give _it_ to her.  He hadn't bought Caitlin a gift, but during his time at Colorado's PS 14, his Art teacher assigned a project for the class.  It was to be a collage of memories.  In the end Eric had completed a scrapbook with the help of his mother.  It contained photos of Eric's escapades with Griffin and the Lowes.  It also held carefully matted photos that Caitlin had given him.  Furthermore, Caitlin and Eric's crusade against the toxins in the nearby acreage had been his centerpiece.  Eric had put clippings about their campaign and even one of their flyers.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Griffin asked, sticking his head around the corner.

Eric stood up with a start.  "Oh, hey!  Griffster!  Dude, I just had to see if I brought any sweats.  After tat diner I don't think my jeans will fit," Eric rambled, hoping Griffin wouldn't notice him slipping the scrapbook into his backpack.

"First of all, I don't buy it," Griffin drawled, pointing at Eric.

Eric tensed as Griffin came into the room.  "What do you mean you don't buy it?" Eric choked.

Griffin smirked.  "Well, you and me could both fit into the jeans you're wearing!" Griffin laughed.

Eric relaxed a bit.  "Whatever Griff!" he chortled.

Griffin slung his arm around Eric's neck.  "Mom accused you of trying to get out of dish duty!" Griffin chuckled.  "So I'm capturing the escapee!"

Eric's knees almost buckled before he heard Griffin's theory.  "Ah, dude!  Ya caught me!" Eric grinned.

"Well, let's go then!" Griffin urged.

Eric relaxed and relieved Griffin hadn't seen the book, nodded.  "Yeah, I'll be down in a sec!"

Griffin frowned.  "You'd better be, or she'll send in reinforcements!" Griffin warned as he walked out of the room.

Eric hid the book cautiously and grabbed two gifts.  One was Griffin's present.  It was a burnt CD of his favorite songs.  He'd wrapped it and everything.  Eric also had gotten Jim and Dori a gift certificate the other day for The Grill.  It was the nicest restaurant in High River, which wasn't saying much, but they would appreciate the sentiment.  Eric ran down the stairs to help with the dishes.

_It was a good Christmas after all._

***

Caitlin wondered why it was talking Eric so long to come down.  She'd been distracted the entire dinner.  Caitlin couldn't get the earlier encounter off her mind.  They had just left it without saying anything.  There was nothing to say.  _Was there?_

Caitlin was confused.  As confused as ever!  With Will's surprise visit and then the incident with Eric.  Life was throwing her a few curveballs.

"Hey!  Wash or dry?" Eric yelled as he careened into the kitchen.

Caitlin looked at the boyish smirk on Eric's face and she just rolled her eyes.  "Dry!" Caitlin stated, throwing a tea towel at Eric who winked at her.

~~~

After the cleaning had been finished, Griffin, anxious as he was, sat in front of the Christmas tree, beckoning the family to join him.  "Come on guys!  I had to wait all morning!  I _want_ my presents!" he yelled.

Caitlin stalked over to the couch and sat in the middle seat with Dori and Jim hedging her in.  "All right, you can open my gift!" Caitlin sighed pointing at the red envelope.

Griffin smiled wickedly and ripped the envelope open.

After all the gifts from Jim and Dori had been opened.  Caitlin and Griffin surprised Eric with a gift of their own to him.  The blonde teen was speechless, which to Caitlin was a momentous occasion.  Caitlin watched as he tore open the gift.  Griffin and Caitlin had decided for his first Christmas back in High River, they would get him a customized, not legal, but none the less, cool license plate.  It had two snowboarders bordering the letters, '2CU RIP'.

Eric's face lit up and he laughed. "Guys this rocks!  Thanks!"

Caitlin nodded and looked over at Griffin and grinned.  Suddenly Eric's face turned morose and upset.  "But I didn't get you guys anything?" he pouted.

Caitlin, Dori, and Jim shook their heads.  "That's okay.  You didn't have to," Caitlin chided.

Eric's head hung like a puppy that had been hit in the nose.  "Hey, I expected one!" Griffin whined.

Caitlin shot a withering glare at Griffin.  He just shrugged and smiled.  "I'm kidding!" he exclaimed.

Then Eric's head rose with a big grin on his face.  "Just kidding!  Gotcha!" Eric yelled, pulling out two gifts.

Eric handed one to Dori and one to Griffin.  Caitlin and Eric locked eyes.  "Um, here," Eric handed her an envelope."

Caitlin was happy that she'd received the card, but part of her felt disappointed.  It just had her name and 'Wishing you a Merry Christmas' preprinted on the inside.  Caitlin swallowed and gave him a weak smile.  "Thanks!"

Dori and Jim loved the gift certificate and Griffin put the burnt CD Eric had made for him into the stereo.  Caitlin excused herself and ran up the stairs to her bedroom.  All the holiday spirit had caught up with her and Caitlin flung herself onto her bed.  Taking her framed picture of her mother, Caitlin hugged it to her chest.  "Merry Christmas Mom," Caitlin whispered.

A few minutes had passed and Caitlin could hear Dori and Jim starting their annual Christmas board game tournament.  It usually started out with Monopoly and ended with a rousing game of Charades.  Caitlin knew she would eventually have to join them, but for a few minutes, Caitlin just wanted to wallow in the confusion that was her life.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door.  "Go away!  I don't want to play Monopoly!" Caitlin yelled.  There was another knock on the door and then Caitlin heard the creaking of the door hinges opening.  "I said…"

Caitlin was surprised to see Eric standing in her room.  "Eric?  Did they send you to get me?" Caitlin sputtered.

Eric scratched his head.  "No," Eric replied sheepishly.  "I wanted to give you something."

Caitlin frowned.  _He wanted to give me something?_  "But I already got your card?"

Eric shook his head.  "No, that wasn't it.  I…well, I just didn't want everyone to make a big deal over it so I thought I'd wait to give this to you."  Eric held out a medium sized green package.

Caitlin tucked her legs under her as Eric laid the package on her bed and sat down in front of her.  "What is it?" Caitlin asked curiously.

Eric grinned.  "Open it and find out."

Caitlin cautiously tore open the gift.  A faux leather book appeared from under the wrapping.  Embossed on the front of the book were the words, 'Memories'.  "It's a scrapbook," Caitlin gasped.

"Yeah, I made it out in Colorado.  I thought you'd like it, since I really don't have any use for something so…you know, girlie," Eric shrugged.

Caitlin peered up at Eric and smiled.  "Thanks," Caitlin scoffed as she opened the book of memories.

As she poured over the pictures, Caitlin couldn't help but feel this overwhelming joy.  She couldn't believe Eric would give her something so sweet.  "It's great!  I love it!" Caitlin whispered as she fingered her matte photos.

Unexpectedly, Caitlin felt herself wrap her arms around Eric's neck.  Slowly, she felt his arms tighten around her.  When they finally pulled away, Caitlin could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.  "Thanks."

Eric shrugged.  Uh," Eric mumbled.  "Could you not tell Griffin I gave that to you?"

Caitlin nodded.  "Yeah.  It's not like it's his present or anything." Caitlin tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.  "No problem."

Eric sighed.  "Great.  Thanks."

He lingered a moment and then rose from the bed.  "I'd better get going, Griffin's probably wondering where I am."

Caitlin smiled.  "Yeah, I'd probably better come down too."

Caitlin looked for a safe place to put her new gift.  Finally she decided under her pillow was as good a place as any.  "Let's go!" Caitlin chirped as she followed Eric down the stairs.


	25. 25

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Five 

The holidays went by too quickly in Eric's opinion.  His stay with the Lowe's had been wonderful, but when his parents arrived home, Eric definitely was excited.  He'd missed them, not that he would admit it out loud.  Now school had started again and a new semester had began.  Things were looking up in the New Year.

_New Year's_.

It certainly had been an eventful celebration.  The Lowe's had his family come over and ring in the New Year.  There were plenty of games, food and laughing.  Jim had even gone all out to buy some wicked fireworks from the local store.  Eric had never been happier to be _home_.

Griffin and Eric had spent most of the early evening hiding out from the old folks though.  Spending time together was good and all, but there is that saying, '_Too much of something is never a good thing'_?  Especially when it came to hanging out with the folks.  That was Griffin's motto anyway.

Eric had kept a look out for Caitlin who had been chatty ever since the Anderson's had arrived.  He kept finding her in conversations with either the Lowes or his parents.  As Griffin had began whining about hanging out in such a lame party and hinting at ditching the older group for a while, Eric searched for Caitlin, in the hopes that she would join them.

"Don't bother!" Griffin groaned.  "What do we need a girl for?"

Eric tried to remain casual about the whole thing.  "Nothing.  It's uh, just...well, not nice not to invite her too.  I mean, just because Caitlin's a pain sometimes, doesn't mean she has to suffer through my Dad's opinions on the cattle market."

Griffin rolled his eyes.  "And plus the fact that you want to _spend time_ with _her!_" Griffin drawled, batting his eyelashes.

Eric felt the blood rush to his face and tried to cover.  "Give me a break Griff!" Eric scoffed.  "It's _not_ because I like her."

Griffin laughed loudly, enough for Caitlin, his parents, and the Lowes to peer over to the kitchen and look suspiciously at the pair.  Both of the boys averted their gaze to the lovely wooden cabinets in the kitchen.  When Eric finally felt like the audience had drifted back into their normal conversation, he hit Griffin on the shoulder.  "Shut up!" he warned through clenched teeth.

His best friend shook his head and began heading outside.  "You've _got_ to be kidding?  Everyone in the free world knows you got it bad for Caitlin!" Griffin mocked.

Eric exhaled loudly, as the two had reached the porch of the house.  He breathed in the chilly evening air.  "What are you talking about?" Eric asked offhandedly.

"Eric, everyone knows about the kiss.  Aaaand, usually when you kiss a girl, that _means you like her!_" Griffin taunted.

Eric rubbed his face.  "Yeah, I guess I messed that one up big time, huh?"

Griffin exaggerated when he nodded silently.  "But people will forget over the holidays," Griffin chirped.

As they walked into the separate office like cabin beside the Lowe's main house, Eric sighed.  "You think so?"

Griffin smirked.  "No!" Griffin laughed as he scrambled away from the threatening Eric.

Finally when Eric had stopped chasing Griffin, both boys fell into soft cushy chairs in the makeshift living room.  "I'll be honest with you Griffster, I do like her."

Griffin sat up suddenly and had this shocked look on his face.  "No!  You're kidding me?  And I thought it was all an act!"

Eric frowned and grabbed the pillow underneath him and threw it at his best friend's head.  "Shut up."

Griffin looked at him seriously.  "But really, all kidding aside, all I have to say is that you've got good taste.  I mean, I personally don't understand _why_, but hey, if you like her you like her."

Eric smiled.  _From Griffin, that was completely being supportive._  "Yeah.  I don't know.  Things changed after I came back.  I mean, it seemed like we grew up a lot.  We _didn't_ hate each other anymore."

Griffin nodded.  "Yeah, you guys were actually getting along surprisingly well just before you moved too," he agreed.  "To tell you the truth it was kind of eerie.  It was like being in the Twilight Zone."  Griffin made these ghost noises and threw Eric's pillow back at him.

"So why don't you just ask her out?" Griffin asked irritated.

Eric got up, adjusted his baggy jeans and looked out the window, which framed the Lowe's house.  "Like it's that easy?"

"Sure it is," Griffin exclaimed.  "Why not?  I mean, it's not like she's still dating Will or anything."

Eric shook his head.  "Griffin, me and Caitlin, we're just…well, we're not like that."

The excuse was vague even to him.  "That's just stupid." Griffin scoffed.  "If you like her, ask her out.  She must have some feelings for you.  I mean, she _actually_ let your _lips_ touch _hers_!" 

Griffin shivered.  "That would _definitely_ be a set back for any girl.  So she _must_ like you!"  He came up beside Eric and nudged him with his shoulder.

Eric made a face at Griffin.  He would have hit him, but Eric knew Griffin was just trying to be encouraging.  "You know there's no point, don't you?" Eric asked.

Griffin snorted.  "Why not?"

Eric scratched his head and turned around to face Griffin.  "Cuz Griff, we're in grade 12.  What's the point?  She's going to go to some fancy photography school, and we'll be at U of M.  See?  What's the point?"

Griffin put his arm around Eric and shook his head, smiling a knowing smile.  "Eric, Eric, Eric," Griffin repeated pityingly.  "Just because we're graduating doesn't mean you can't date her!"

Eric rolled his eyes.  "I don't want to _just_ date her!" Eric exclaimed.  "Besides, what's the point of dating someone and becoming really close to them, only to break up because you're moving in different directions?"

A confused look appeared on Griffin's face.  "When did you get all serious about this stuff man?  Dude, it's just dating!  It's supposed to be fun!"

Linking his hands behind his head, Eric looked up at the lit ceiling fan.  "You just don't get it do you?  I don't want to _just_ _date_ Caitlin.  I have _feelings_ for her Griff."

Griffin's eyes widened and then his eyebrows furrowed.  "I didn't know it was that serious dude?  Aren't we a little young to be getting serious about a _girl_?"

Eric laughed.  "See!  I told you!"  Eric sighed and headed towards the couch.  I figure what's the point?  It's not like long distance relationships work anyway!"

Griffin began shaking his head and then held his hands out in front of him, seemingly to stay balanced.  "Okay, dude, let's not get ahead of  ourselves.  Maybe it could work out.  I mean, both of you are stubborn!  Maybe it could be you guys could be the one out of one and a million high school couples to make it.  Maybe you and Caitlin…"

Griffin was interrupted by a soft knock at the door.  Both of them sat up rigidly as the auburn 17- year old girl stepped slowly into the one room cabin.  "Hey!" Caitlin smirked.  "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Eric looked at Griffin and then back at Caitlin.  Both were speechless.

Caitlin shifted uneasily and didn't seem too interested in the boys' conversation.  "It's almost 12.   Jim and Dori told me to come out to the yard.  They're just about to start setting off the fireworks," Caitlin informed.

When she left, both Eric and Griffin exhaled loudly.  "That was close!" Griffin exclaimed.

"Do you think she heard anything?" Eric asked anxiously.

Griffin shook his head.  "Nah.  She wouldn't have come in if she'd overheard any of our conversation."

The rest of the evening was spent with both families.  Each member of the families were able to set off one rocket, to Eric's excitement.  But when the clock struck 12, there was a blur of hugs from family members and Jim.  Dori gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Eric and Griffin hugged like the ending of a romantic movie.  Running towards each other in slow motion, Eric picked up the flailing Griffin and swung him around.  Lastly, Caitlin stood beside him as the last of the fireworks exploded in a shower of colored lights.  

"Hey," Caitlin greeted casually.

Eric nodded once.  "Pretty good fireworks eh?" Eric grinned self-consciously.

Caitlin smiled.  "Yeah," she replied, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.  "Look, I just wanted say Happy New Year's!"

Eric looked over at Caitlin whose eyes were gazing up at the stars.  He nodded.  "Happy New Year's!" Eric repeated softly and joined her in gazing at the clear twinkling white lights draped on the dark velvety midnight sky.


	26. 26

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Six 

The new semester had begun a hectic pace of classes and assignments.  It seemed like a never ending stream of marks and exams.  And then there were the motivational speakers from different schools and places of employment, lecturing on how important school was and what is needed to get into a good school.  It was almost enough to make Caitlin scream!  Almost.

This school semester had been unusually quiet, which Caitlin was quite grateful for.  There really hadn't been any fist fights or even oral exchanges between Eric and Will.  Each had kept to their own corners and been modestly civil.  

Caitlin hadn't spoken to Will since Christmas though.  Part of her was sadden at the loss of a great friend, but Caitlin knew that in the end, she would have had to say good bye, sometime that year with graduation approaching.  Yet, Caitlin couldn't help but wonder if they could leave things amicably.

"Hey Caitlin!" Eric yelled down from the hallway.

She turned around and smiled.  "What's up?  Did you hear that scouts are going to be at the game on Friday?"

Caitlin was excited for Eric.  He'd been working extremely hard on his grades and was top of the class when it came to football.  Now some colleges and universities were scouting him at games.

"Yeah," Eric smirked mischievously.  "I can't wait!  I hear they're from U of M, which is great."

Caitlin nodded.  He'd been planning to go there with Griffin since they were in grade 10.  "Maybe you'll get a scholarship to go there."

Eric waggled his eyebrows.  "You never know!"  He winked at Caitlin as he closed his locker, which stood below Caitlin's.

"Hey dude!" Griffin exclaimed walking up beside Caitlin and Griffin.  "I just had a _meeting_ with the guidance counselor."

Caitlin laughed as an exasperated look came over Griffin's face.  

"And he told me I was close-minded when I informed him that U of M is my choice school."

Eric's jaw dropped.  "What do you mean?  Montana has a great football program and it's pretty decent for business," Eric growled.

Griffin nodded.  "I _tried_ to tell him, but Mr. Schokly doesn't seem to think so.  He's on me for not going to Colorado."

Caitlin shook her head.  "So?  Maybe he's trying to give you options.  I mean, what if you don't get into Montana?"

Both men looked back at Caitlin in horror.  "Not. Get. Into. Montana?" Griffin stammered.  "Bite your tongue!"

Caitlin smirked.  "Oh brother!" sighed Caitlin.

"We are _definitely_ in.  For _sure_!" Eric informed Caitlin as if she'd just turned into Taylor or something.

Caitlin lifted her hands in surrender.  "Okay, okay.  You'll both get into Montana!" she chuckled.  "I'm just saying, each of you should have back up plans."

Griffin eyed her suspiciously.  "And do you have back ups if you don't get into NYU?"

Inside, Caitlin's stomach churned at the thought of not getting into New York.  She'd dreamed about being a photographer forever and NYU had a great program.  But if Caitlin did get rejected, she did have a few back up plans.

Caitlin pursed her lips and shrugged.  "I might.  We'll see."

***

Eric was nervous as he left the locker room that Friday night.  He'd never had scouts in the crowd before.  It made him antsy.

"Are you ready Anderson?" Coach Lawrence inquired patting his star quarterback on the shoulder.

"Of course Coach," Eric lied, putting a smile on his face.  "All set to go sir!"

Coach Lawrence studied his student and player.  "Don't get all macho.  It's all right to be nervous when the scouts come looking for you," Coach chided.

"I'm not!" Eric shook his head in protest.  "I…"

"That's a load of bunk Anderson!  Now forget about the stupid scouts and focus on the game.  If you play half as well as you have been this semester, you're fine!"

Eric watched as Coach Lawrence ran out into the field.  He took a deep breath and exhaled.  _He was going to be fine._

***

Griffin joined Caitlin and the rest of the Lowes in the stands as the High River Stallions ran out into the field.  Brett and Jordan also decided to join the excited friends.  "Did you see Eric?" Jordan asked, popping a piece of popcorn into his mouth.

"No, did you?" Griffin asked.

He knew his friend had to be worried.  His parents weren't doing as well on the ranch as most of the ranchers in High River and this year, they were depending on Eric getting a sports scholarship of some kind to pay for some of the tuition and costs of university.

"No," Jordan shook his head.

"I did," Brett chirped.  "He looked really nervous.  I wish I was on the team this year, but with my knee acting up the way it has…"

Griffin nodded as he looked at Brett's disappointed face.  "The surgery this summer will go well," Griffin said encouragingly.

Brett had injured his knee earlier this year on the volleyball team and was waiting arthroscopic knee surgery to repair some of the tendons that had been damaged from twisting his knee during a game.  "Thanks, I'm hoping so.  I can't imagine the pressure Eric's feeling right now!"

Griffin looked over at Caitlin who seemed unusually nervous.  "What's your problem?" he asked.

Caitlin scowled at Griffin.  "I'm always nervous at a game!" Caitlin dismissed.

Griffin frowned.  "This is your first game _Caitlin_, how would you know if you are always nervous at a game?" scoffed Griffin.

Caitlin bit her lip and got up from the bleachers.  "I'm going to see if I can get any good shots of the game from behind the benches," said Caitlin as she excused herself, tugging on her camera.

Griffin shrugged as Jim and Dori looked questioningly at him.  "Don't ask me!  She's never been to a game in her life!"

As Caitlin made her way down the stands, Griffin couldn't help but smirk.  Both Eric and Caitlin had been spending an awful lot of time together in his opinion.  Even the school's rumor mill had been churning out suspicions on Caitlin and Eric getting together.  Griffin sighed.  _Now if only we could get those two to realize that they were made for each other._


	27. 27

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Seven 

Caitlin had taken some great shots of the football game.  Coach Lawrence had been kind enough to allow Caitlin on the sidelines as long as she didn't interfere with his players.  Caitlin felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Eric dodge an opponent lunging at him.  He faked left and then jumped over a pile of Braymont High players and head towards the end of the field.  Caitlin wasn't quite sure how the game was played, but she knew from the crowd's excitement that something good was about to happen.  She began to sprint down the sidelines and when Caitlin found an opening, she began to snap a series of photos.  But Caitlin managed to pull herself from behind the camera lens in time to see Eric hop over into the end zone.

She leaped up with her camera in hand and shouted out loud along with the hometown crowd.  "Yeaaaah!" Caitlin screamed.  "Way to go Eric!"

The rest of the game had as much attack as the beginning quarter.  Caitlin finally managed to put her camera away during the dying minutes of the fourth quarter.  She made her way back to the bleachers where Dori, Jim, and Griffin were still seated.  Dori was the first to acknowledge her return.  "So did you get some great shots?  I saw you running around down on the sidelines," she laughed.

Caitlin sighed as she sat down.  "Yeah, I think I got some great shots."  Suddenly Caitlin felt Griffin poke her in the ribs.  "What?" growled Caitlin.

Her cousin smirked.  "Did you get any good shots of Eric?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "Yes.  And you'll see them when I develop them tomorrow, okay?"

Griffin pouted.  "Aw, couldn't you do them tonight?"

"I think you can wait till tomorrow!  Besides, aren't you going to hang out with Eric after the game?  I'm sure there'll be a post-game celebration somewhere around town.  If not everywhere!"  Caitlin looked around at the bleachers.  It seemed everyone in town had shown up for the game.  "I think the whole town came to the game today."

Griffin and Brett looked around and laughed.  "I didn't really notice how many more people there were in the stands tonight," Brett admitted, scratching his head.  "I think this is this season's best crowd attendance."

Caitlin frowned.  "I don't know why so many people came to tonight's game?"

Griffin shook his head and patted her on the shoulder.  "It's because tonight's win kept us in the playoffs for divisions."

Caitlin shrugged.  "Whatever!  Anyway, what are we doing after the game?" she asked Dori and Jim.  

The two parental figures shrugged.  "I don't know.  I think we need to ask Eric?" Dori said, looking over at Griffin.  "You boys probably have something planned right?  Or you guys could come over to the ranch?"

Griffin laughed out loud.  "Mom?  You've got to be kidding right?  Of course we're going to go out!"

Caitlin frowned.  "Why?  It's getting pretty late already and wouldn't Eric be tired after the game?"

Griffin shook his head sadly again and smiled.  "Caitlin, Caitlin.  You don't know what happens after a football game do you?  Obviously not, since this _is_ your first one!" he chided.  "Well, we'll let you in on our ritual."  Griffin leaned closer as Caitlin was ready to cuff him one for acting like such a know-it-all.  "Listen, we're going to the malt shoppe and we hang out with a bunch of the football team and cheerleaders, and eat pizza."

Caitlin frowned.  "Ooh, that sounds so exciting!" Caitlin deadpanned.

Griffin shook his head.  "And _that_ my friends, is why we don't take her anywhere!" Griffin informed Brett and Jordan who snickered as Caitlin glared at them.

"Whatever!" Caitlin sighed.  "What…"

Suddenly Eric came bounding up the bleachers with his parents.  "Hey guys!" he said with a twinkle in his eye.  "So are we ready to celebrate?  We're still in the division race!"  Eric slapped Brett, Jordan, and Griffin's outstretched hands.

"Yeah," exclaimed Brett.  "Same place?"

Eric nodded.  "Yeah.  I gotta put my stuff in my parent's truck," he motioned to his parents who stood behind him.  "But I can meet you in the parking lot?"

The three boys nodded.  "Sure," Griffin exclaimed.

Then Eric looked over at Caitlin.  "Are you comin'?" he asked.

Caitlin was surprised.  She hadn't expected Eric to invite her along, not that she would have wanted to.  Caitlin smiled and shook her head.  "No, you guys go ahead."

Eric frowned.  "Why not?  We're just going to have pizza right guys?"  The three guys looked at him like he'd gone out of his mind.  They motioned with dramatically with their hands, not to invite her.  Caitlin could still see them from the corner of her eye, though they didn't know it.  When Caitlin turned to look at the three, they had stopped moving and smiled.  "Oh, uh, sure.  Yeah, Caitlin, you should come if this is your kind of thing!" Griffin coughed.

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "Nah.  I think I've got some homework to do anyway.  I'll just go home with Jim and Dori."  She looked at Jim and Dori who were standing up and getting ready to leave.  Dori looked at her and nodded.  "Yeah.  I know she said something about _having some homework_ to do."

Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief when Dori backed up her story.  Truth was, Caitlin wasn't quite looking forward to hanging out with '_the guys_' tonight.  As everyone began dispersing in opposite directions, Caitlin waved Jim and Dori ahead because she had to pack up her camera.  When she began to make her way to the truck, she thought she heard her name. 

"_Caitlin_!" Eric called from behind.

Caitlin turned around and saw Eric jogging away from his parents and towards her.  When he caught up to her, Eric was breathing raggedly.  "I'm glad you came!" Eric smiled as he matched Caitlin's stride.  She shrugged.  "I thought I'd catch at least one game this season.  And since everyone was talking about it, I thought this might be the one to see," explained Caitlin casually.  

She had this fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach whenever she saw Eric nowadays.  It was weird because they'd become so close and Caitlin didn't think it could get still so awkward.  "So you made it a pretty interesting game," offered Caitlin.

Eric nodded.  "Yeah, it was one of our better games.  I thought I was going to be sick at the beginning of the game though.  There were scouts in the stands tonight."

Caitlin smiled sympathetically.  "Well I couldn't tell.  You looked good."  The last sentence seemed to hang in the air as they neared Jim's truck.  Caitlin swallowed as they slowed their pace down a little.

"Are you _sure_ you don't want to come out tonight?  I know Griffin and them were kind of being jerks back there, but I'm sure they really wouldn't mind?"

Caitlin frowned and then laughed.  "Are you kidding me?"

Eric scratched his head and laughed.  "All right, they'd probably kill me if they knew I had asked you again," admitted Eric.  "But it _still_ doesn't mean you can't come?"

Caitlin and Eric stopped just a few feet from the truck.  "Nah.  I can catch you some other time," shrugged Caitlin.  Eric nodded.  "Okay."

They stood there for a few minutes in silence.  Suddenly Jim called from the truck.  "Are you _coming_ Caitlin?"

Caitlin glared back at Jim who was standing on the instep of the truck, leaning on top of the roof.  "_Yeah_," she cried exasperated.  Then turning to Eric, Caitlin nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  "So I'll see you around?"

Eric smiled and nodded.  "Yeah.  I'll see you around."  He looked over at his parents who were waiting patiently, a few feet away.  "I'd better go to.  See ya."

Caitlin watched Eric walk towards his parents.  "See ya!" she called after him.  Finally she began to make her way to the truck.  And by the looks on Jim and Dori's faces, Caitlin knew that she was in for a long night of questions and teasing.


	28. 28

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters.  They are the property of Nickelodeon.

Pairings: C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Eight 

"Hey!" Eric smiled as he leaned on the locker beside Caitlin's.  "Did you have a good weekend?"  After the game Friday, Eric had to go to an auction with his dad.  He'd only gotten back late Sunday night.

Caitlin smiled.  "Yeah.  I kept busy."  Eric watched Caitlin stuff a couple of binders into her backpack.  "Did you finish the Chem assignment?" asked Caitlin as she closed her locker and began to walk towards Mrs. Simon's classroom.

Eric sighed.  "Yeah, after I put a dent in my forehead from hitting against our kitchen table!"  He hated Chemistry.  It was one of his least favorite classes.  Eric didn't realize how accurate and painstakingly boring the class was, when he'd signed up for it.  He thought it would be a lot of mixing of chemicals and explosions.  How wrong he was.  Three quarters of the class was taking notes while the other quarter was doing experiments and taking notes on the experiment.

They walked into the classroom together.  Griffin was in his usual spot, right near the back window.  Eric sat in front of him, and Caitlin to Eric's right.  Mrs. Simon walked in with an overhead projector, which only meant that the class would be taking notes for the 45 minutes they were there.  As Eric pulled out his Chem binder, he felt a piece of paper hit him on the side of the head.  The paper had been crumpled into a ball.  Eric slowly and as quietly as possible, unfolded the sheet of lined white paper.

_'Have you asked her to the prom yet?'_

                                                    Brett 

_                                                    Jordan_

                                                    

Eric rolled his eyes and then glared at Brett and Jordan who were sitting on his left.  He crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into his backpack.  The duo were making kissy faces at him and snickering.    Ignoring his immature classmates, Eric opened his binder to an empty sheet of looseleaf and settled down for a major session of notes that he in the end, would never understand.  Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder.  "_Eric_," Griffin whispered.  "What did the note say?"

Eric turned around, his movement caught the eye of Caitlin, who frowned, silently asking what the commotion was about.  He shook his head and shrugged dismissively.  'Yeah,' thought Eric.  'The one thing I need is for Caitlin to find out what the paper had said.'  Caitlin shrugged in reply and went back to taking the jargon of notes Mrs. Simon was explaining.

Griffin looked at him with wide eyes and a grin.  "So what did it say?"

Eric sighed and dug around in his backpack for the crumpled paper.  He threw it on Griffin's desk and turned back to catch up on the notes he's already missed.  After a moment, Eric felt Griffin punch him lightly on the shoulder and chuckle.  "I forgot about that.  Have you even thought about asking her?"

The thought had crossed his mind, but Eric didn't know how to ask her.  Would it be as just friends?  Or would they be starting something more?  Eric shrugged and continued to finish writing the gibberish Mrs. Simon was talking about.  Then impulsively, Eric glanced quickly over at Caitlin, who was rolling her eyes at Mrs. Simon, as she jotted down the notes.  Eric smiled to himself.  She looked cute when she was annoyed and frustrated – two looks he'd mastered at achieving in bringing out in Caitlin.

***

_'This is so boring,' thought Caitlin._  She flexed her fingers as it had started to cramp.  Mrs. Simon was always a killer, giving extensive notes in whatever class she may have been teaching.  Even in Art class, the students were made to take notes.

Caitlin twirled her pen between her fingers.  She had asked Jim if she could borrow the truck last Saturday so she could head up to Boulder and run some errands.  In private she'd asked Dori to convince Jim to allow her the take the truck because Caitlin wanted to shop for a prom dress.  When Dori heard prom, she'd immediately wanted to tag along, feeling that Caitlin would need some input, but she refused.  "Dori, I'm not even going to buy anything.  I'm just going to look at some dresses," explained Caitlin, as she flopped onto her bed.  "Now do you think you could convince Jim to let me use the truck, without having to explain to him why?"

Finally Dori agreed to state Caitlin's case to Jim, without resorting to details.  Jim handed her the keys without comment, for which Caitlin was ever grateful to Dori.  As she was bounding out the door, Caitlin yelled at Dori.  "I'll let you see it if I get anything."  As Caitlin had been driving the hour- long drive to Boulder, she didn't quite know why getting a dress was important to her this time around.  She never had wanted to go this far out for a dress before.  Caitlin knew she was going out of her way to not let anyone find out that she was even looking at prom dresses.  That kind of excitement was reserved for Taylor and her gaggle of preppy girls.

Caitlin came home empty-handed, but with a better idea of what she wanted.  She didn't realize that prom dresses would be that expensive either.  Caitlin pushed the thought of the prom and getting a date aside as she walked to her next class.  A loud voice echoed through the long hallway behind her.  "Yeah, definitely Taylor!"

She recognized the voice.  It was Will.  Caitlin turned around to see Taylor pawing at Will, who was leaning against a locker.  She rolled her eyes.  It had been weeks since she'd talked with him.  Caitlin was pretty sure he hated her for leaving things the way she did.  But there were moments, in class, when Caitlin would catch him staring at her.  With this announcement in the hallway, Caitlin knew that it was over.  She didn't have time to worry over immature boys who didn't know when to let go.

Will caught her eye just that moment.  The gleam in his eye was challenging her to say something, to do something.  He was challenging her to tell him it wasn't over.  Caitlin swallowed and turned away.  _But things were over_.

~~~

"Hey Caitlin," Griffin called as he jogged up beside her.  She had left the school immediately after grabbing her books, not wanting to run into Will.  Caitlin slowed down so that Griffin could catch up.

"Yeah," she replied.  From the twinkle in his eye, Griffin looked like the cat that ate the canary.  Caitlin studied her cousin.  "What is it?"

Griffin grinned as they reached his car.  "Did you find a prom dress yet?"

Caitlin was in shock.  She didn't think Dori would have told anyone, after swearing complete silence.  "What?" stuttered Caitlin.  "What are you talking about?"

Griffin frowned as he backed out of the parking lot and out onto the street.  "It's a simple question.  Have you found a prom dress yet?"

Caitlin swallowed.  "No, why?"

Griffin chuckled.  "No reason Caitlin.  I was just wondering.  Geez, why are you so edgy?"

Caitlin let out a quiet sigh of relief.  _Griffin had just asked a question and didn't know about her expedition to Boulder_.  "I'm not edgy," she protested.  "It was just you asked the question out of the blue.  Besides, who says I'm even going to the prom.  I mean, it's not like I have guys knocking down my door for a date.  Will and I are over, and as you've probably already heard, he's taking Taylor."

She watched as Griffin's jaw dropped.  "But what about Brett?" he exclaimed.  

Caitlin frowned.  "What about _Brett_?  They were done dating a long time ago."  Griffin shook his head.  "No. No!" He sighed.  "He still likes her, for whatever stupid reason.  And I hate to admit it, but I still think Taylor likes Brett."

It was news to Caitlin, though she had to admit, they did fight a lot in the halls.  The former couple didn't seem to even try to avoid each other.  "Well, it's too late now.  She asked Will."

Griffin sighed frustratedly.  "Girls are so dumb sometimes!" Griffin mumbled.  Caitlin took offense and hit him on the shoulder.  "No we're not!" exclaimed Caitlin.  "It's not like Brett has been nice to Taylor or anything.  And he's never once said that he wanted to take her to the prom."  Caitlin swallowed hard.  She never thought she'd be defending Taylor's actions.  It sent a shiver down her spine.

Caitlin watched as Griffin rolled his eyes at her.  "Give me a break.  Girls always assume things.  They never let a guy get around to asking them anything."

She bit her tongue at the smug remark.  Caitlin didn't really care about whether Taylor went out with Brett.  In her opinion, he was better off without her snotty remarks.  "Have you already asked Nikki?" Caitlin attempted to change the subject.

Griffin shook his head.  "Not yet.  But we both know we're going to the prom together," Griffin retorted.

Caitlin shook her head.  "Maybe _not_," said Caitlin irritably.  "You know, some girls might not make the same assumptions _guys_ do.  They _need_ to be asked.  And also, perhaps it would be a good idea to ask her soon since she still has to get her prom dress?"

As they pulled into the driveway, Griffin shook his head.  "We've got plenty of time!"  Caitlin shook her head in disbelief.  He wouldn't listen.

"Whatever Griffin."

~~~

The phone rang as Caitlin was making a sandwich in the kitchen.  "I got it!" Caitlin yelled as she made her way to the cordless phone.  "Hello?"

There was a rustling sound on the other end of the receiver and then a guy's voice piped in.  "Uh, hello?"  Caitlin frowned.  "Eric?"

"Uh Caitlin!" Eric chuckled nervously.  "Hi!"

She relaxed as she sat down at the kitchen counter and rested the phone in between her chin and shoulder.  "What's up?"  He sounded kind of strange on the other end, but Caitlin dismissed it.  "Are you working on the Chem lab we did?  I didn't really get it, but Griffin will probably know what Mrs. Simon was talking about.  If you phoned to talk to Griffin, he's out in the yard with Jim."

Eric cleared his throat on the other end of the phone.  "Um, no.  That's not what I was phoning about."  There was a few moments of silence and then he began to talk again.  "Uh, Caitlin, I was wondering if you had a date to the prom yet?"

The bite of sandwich Caitlin had just taken, seemed lodged in her throat.  She swallowed hard, forcing it down.  "Uh, what _did_ you say?"  Caitlin could feel her palms getting sweaty.  _Had Eric just asked her to the prom?_

"Uh," he stuttered.  "I was just wondering if you had a _date_ to the prom yet?  If you do, then that's all right.  I was just.."  Caitlin stopped listening, instead a thousand thoughts were racing through her head.  _Was this a real date?  Could she go with him?  She couldn't believe that he was asking her._  Suddenly she found herself tuning back into the conversation.  "Uh, Caitlin?  Are you there?  Hello?"

Caitlin cleared her throat.  "Yeah.  I'm here," she chirped nervously.  She chewed on her lip, wondering how she should answer him.  "Uh, no."

There was silence again.  "No you don't want to go to the prom with you?" Eric asked.

Caitlin's eyes widened and she shook her head, though Eric wouldn't be able to see that.  "NO!" she exclaimed.  "I mean, no, I don't have a date to the dance!"  She felt her heart racing a mile a minute.

"Oh." Caitlin heard Eric sigh.  "Well, do you want to go with me?"

The question rang in her ears.  _'Do you want to go with me?'_  Caitlin again, realized she'd phased out of the conversation and quickly replied, "Yes!"  She closed her eyes and hit her forehead.  Caitlin hoped that she didn't sound too enthusiastic.

"Well, okay.  Great," Eric replied.  "Well, I gotta go work on the Chem lab."

Caitlin swallowed and nodded.  "Okay.  Um, well, I'll see you at school tomorrow?"  She felt the blood rushing to her face.  Caitlin didn't know how to end this conversation.

"Yeah.  See ya!"  There was a long pause and then a click.

Caitlin realized that she'd been holding her breath for the last few minutes of the conversation and exhaled loudly.  She slumped over on the counter and rested her head on her forearms.  _She had a date to the prom._


	29. 29

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Twenty Nine 

The news that he had asked Caitlin to the prom was buzzing around the gossip mill on Tuesday.  Eric didn't know if Caitlin wanted it kept a secret or if she didn't mind that people knew that they were going together.  He sat in Algebra that morning pondering the situation he was in.  

Eric didn't know what he and Caitlin were going as.  When he'd phoned her that afternoon, Eric had followed an impulse.  After it was over, Eric realized all the other stuff he had to worry about.  And he'd had all last night to think them up, and even make them up.

As the morning dawned, Eric felt a twinge of anxiety as he walked through the familiar high school hallway.  But Caitlin hadn't been around her locker that morning.  Eric knew she was in school, but today their classes just didn't happen to be together, much to his relief.  Later on in the morning, Eric went to his locker to get his next set of books for the last couple of classes in the morning.  "Eric!" Caitlin whispered.

He jumped.  Eric hadn't seen Caitlin approaching.  "Hi!" he smiled, as he grabbed his Chem. text and binder.  They stood for a second, awkward and seemingly speechless.  "So, haven't seen you all morning?"

Eric began to walk towards his next class, hoping some movement would jumpstart the inert state of his brain this morning.  Caitlin followed, since she had the same class.  She nodded.  "Yeah.  It's been crazy this morning.  I've had to run some pictures to the yearbook room and then Mr. Eden stopped me in the hall to talk about joining the book club, which I don't plan on doing!"  Caitlin stopped talking suddenly.  She grinned and laughed.  "I'm kind of babbling aren't I?  You can stop me any time you know!"

During their way toward Chem. class, Eric enjoyed watching Caitlin chatter inanely.  "I will, if I feel like it!" he laughed.  The two separated and sat down in the brightly lit lab room, behind their desks, which were more like counters. 

"Hey!" whispered Griffin.  "So you and Caitlin are going to the prom?"

Eric dreaded this question.  Well not this exact question, but one that was bound to go with it.  "Are you dating now?" asked Griffin, after Mrs. Simon walked passed their counter, taking their recent lab assignment.

He tried to ignore the question, but then Jordan, who sat right beside him jabbed him in the ribs.  "Yeah!  Are you guys official?"

Eric swallowed and looked over at Caitlin, who was busy talking to Mrs. Simon, trying to explain her missing assignment.  "No.  We're just going to the prom together."  There.  He'd said it.  He did not have plans to pursue a long-term relationship with Caitlin after the prom, or even during it.  Eric glanced over at Caitlin again.  She had just been wrung out by Mrs. Simon and was rolling her eyes at Eric, silently voicing her defiance and indifference to Mrs. Simon's lecture.

Eric smirked and turned silently back to his textbook.  _Who was he kidding?  He wanted way more than a friendship from Caitlin.  But was he willing to risk the break up that would most likely happen at the end of the school year?_

***

Caitlin rode Bandit over to Eric's ranch later that afternoon.  As much as she hated the idea of establishing the grounds for this '_date_', Caitlin knew it had to be sorted out, before the rumors grew into something bigger.  Caitlin dismounted off Bandit, and led him towards the back of the house.  There she found Eric loading some hay into their old beaten down truck.  "Eric!"

The blonde haired boy turned around and waved.  He said something to his dad and then hopped down from the truck.  "Hey!" he smiled, huffing slightly.  "What are you doing here?"

Caitlin swallowed as she began fidgeting with Bandit's reins.  "Uh, I thought we needed to talk about the prom."  There she'd said it.

As Caitlin peered up to see Eric's reaction, she found him staring at her, smirking slightly and adjusting the fingers of his work gloves.  "Sure.  What do you want to know?" he replied casually.

Caitlin envied how at ease Eric was with the situation she'd just brought up.  Eric motioned her to start walking.  She appreciated the distraction of the open fields as they talked.  It made her feel more at ease.  Plus, Caitlin was glad not to discuss this in front of Mr. Anderson.  They walked in silence for a while, until Eric finally blurted out, "I think we're just going as friends right?  I mean, I asked you because there's no one I'd rather go with.  I know that both you and me hate stuffy formal stuff, so I figured we could go together and have a little bit of fun."

At that moment, Caitlin felt relieved and disappointed.  Part of her had hoped it was because he liked her.  She looked at him and feigned a smile.  "Oh, uh, yeah.  That's totally what I thought.  I mean, I thought we'd go as friends."  They walked in silence again.  "It's not like we _want_ to make this an _official_ date, right?"

Eric stuffed his work gloves into the back of his jeans and tipped his cowboy hat up, revealing his blue eyes.  He laughed loudly.  "Yeah, of course.  I mean, who could see _us_ dating?  Right?"

Caitlin cleared her throat and laughed airily.  "Yeah," she whispered.

~~~

Caitlin stomped into the kitchen and flung her coat onto a nearby chair.  She ran upstairs and threw herself onto her bed.  As she lay curled up on her bed with a pillow, Caitlin couldn't help but chide herself on how naive she had been.  _They were only the best of friends.  That was it._

Suddenly Caitlin felt this need to scream.  But instead of screaming, Caitlin threw her pillow at the closed door.  "Argh!" she sighed loudly.

A knock on the door interrupted her private frustration.  "Caitlin?" Dori called through the door.

Quietly the door opened.  Dori leaned against the doorway and looked sympathetically at Caitlin.  "Is there something wrong honey?"

Caitlin flung herself backwards on the bed and pulled a pillow over her face.  "No!" she said, her voice muffled by the pillow.

After a few moments, Caitlin felt a tug on the pillow.  She held tightly to her soft companion.  "Go away."

"Come on Caitlin.  Tell me what's wrong.  Maybe I can help?" urged Dori.

Caitlin shook her head underneath the pillow.  "No."

Dori took one finally tug and exposed Caitlin's flushed face.  "Is it about the prom?  You don't have a date?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "I've _got_ a date," growled Caitlin.

"Really!" Dori exclaimed excitedly.  "Who?"

"Eric."  Dori grabbed Caitlin and hugged her tightly.  Caitlin was lost amidst her own thoughts though, and continued talking out loud.  "It's not like I'm some ugly duckling who everybody doesn't like."

Frowning, Dori shook her head.  "What is it?"

Caitlin looked at Dori.  She debated whether it would be a good idea to tell her about actually liking Eric.  She pursed her lips and shook her head.  "It's nothing.  Really," Caitlin protested.  Rising from her bed, Caitlin grabbed her backpack, which she'd thrown on the floor before leaving to talk to Eric.

Dori shook her head.  "I don't think it's nothing," drawled Dori.  "Tell me.  I swear I'll try to help."

Caitlin exhaled loudly and shook her head.  "It's nothing!" Caitlin said, a little too loudly.  She calmed herself and regained her composure.  "I really have to finish this homework Dori.  I've already got heck from Mrs. Simon for not finishing the lab assignment due this morning."

The older woman looked at her knowingly.  Caitlin stood her ground.  She didn't want to talk about it.

Finally Dori gave in and got up from her bed, shrugging, resigning to talk about it anymore.  "If you want to talk," Dori sighed.

Caitlin finished her sentence.  "You'll be _downstairs_?" Caitlin smirked.  Dori walked over to her and hugged her.

"Yes."

Caitlin swallowed and closed the door behind Dori.  Closing her eyes, Caitlin sighed and belly-flopped onto her bed.  She reached over onto her nightstand and grabbed her CD player.  '_Only music can make this any _better,' Caitlin thought to herself.


	30. 30

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirty 

Eric never thought that he'd be done finals and getting ready for prom.  It seemed like forever since he'd phoned Caitlin and asked her to be his 'date'.  As he drove up in his parents' new Civic, Eric couldn't help but feel anxious.

He held the plastic container, encasing the delicate white rose in front of him.  Eric ran over his head, how he should present the flower.  He presented it forward a few times, when suddenly the door opened.  Dori stood in front of him with a huge grin on her face.  "Eric!" she exclaimed.  "Come in."

Eric smiled an awkward smile and slowly made his way into the familiar entranceway of the Lowe's house, something he'd done so many times before, except with an unusual amount of butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.  "Thanks!  Has Griffin left yet?" Eric asked tensely, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in his tux.

Dori nodded.  "Yeah, he went to pick up Nikki already.  I'm surprised that you guys didn't just carpool together?"

He flashed her a brief smile.  "Well, Griffin said he had other plans afterwards and my parents offered to let me use the new Civic, so what's a guy to do?  Right?" he joked pathetically.

Dori laughed airily and looked at him empathetically, like she new that he felt like throwing up, he was so nervous.  And to add to the tension, Jim walked in sipping a cup of coffee.  His face was grim and serious.  "You are going to behave right Eric?" his deep voice resounded throughout Eric's head.

Eric nodded, speechless.  Finally finding his voice he stuttered, "Uh, y-yes."

Jim looked over at Dori and then, back over at Eric.  His eyes twinkled and his lips pursed.  Suddenly the older law enforcer broke out in a fit of laughter.  He shook his head and patted Eric on the back.  "Don't worry Eric, you'll be fine.  You gotta loosen up a little!"

Eric took a deep breath and sighed.  He wiped his brow and chuckled.  "Yeah.  I know.  I don't know why I'm so worried.  It's just Caitlin right?" he babbled.

Dori and Jim shared a look and then smiled.  "I'll go run up and get Caitlin!" Dori chirped.

Eric tugged at his collar, which felt like it was choking him.  He had chosen no tie because he knew that it would make him feel like he was suffocating, like the mandarin collar wasn't enough.  Jim motioned him to have a seat on one of the chairs in the living room.  Reluctantly, Eric made his way over to the couch.  "What's taking her so long?" Eric pouted.

"Take it easy Eric," Jim replied.  "She'll be down in a minute.  Girls are always like that."

There was an awkward silence and Eric racked his brain for some sort of conversation starter.  It was eerie how everything went out of his mind at that exact moment.  He'd never had troubles talking to Jim before.  They'd joked around with Griffin lots.

"She's coming down!" Dori shouted from the top of the stairs.

Her announcement woke Eric from his reverie.  He stood up and made his way over to the stairs.  Dori bounded down the stairs with a camera in hand.  Her face glowed with pride.  "Okay.  You can come down now!"

Eric felt his heart catch in his throat when he saw the vision that made its way down the staircase.  She was beautiful.  Caitlin had her hair up into a twist, with light curly tendrils flowing down.  A sprig of Baby's Breath accessorized the auburn locks.  The dress fitted her shapely curves and Eric thought to himself at that moment, that he'd never see anyone as elegant or as beautiful as his date that night.

As he offered her his arm, Eric finally took a breath as he smiled at Caitlin.  "You look amazing Caitlin," Eric whispered.

***

Her spaghetti-strap dress was blood red and it had an empire waist.  When Caitlin had first seen it, she knew that it was the perfect dress for the prom.  The bodice was made out of a heavy, crushed velvet, and her skirt, which flowed down past her ankles was made of a light crimson organza.

Caitlin had been calm in the morning.  She didn't think that she could get nervous.  She'd spent all week worrying, and Caitlin had thought that morning she'd gotten it out of her system.  But as soon as she'd heard the bell ring that night, all of the butterflies came floating back.  

She ran around her room, trying to find her shoes and a pair of stockings without a run.  Caitlin didn't feel at all ready for this 'date'.  When Dori had come upstairs to find out what was taking her so long, Caitlin almost broke down in tears.  She tried her best to hide her nervousness from her 'almost mother', but it was no use.  But Caitlin was surprised at her reaction.

Dori broke out in a fit of giggles, rather than trying to comfort her.  Caitlin was in a state of disbelief.  "How can you laugh at a time like this?"

"Caitlin," she sighed, controlling her giggles.  "Why do you think you're so nervous?"

"Uh, because I'm not ready?" exclaimed Caitlin, who spun around in her dress without a pair of shoes.

Dori pointed behind her, to the bed that had a box with tissue sticking out of it.  Caitlin stumbled over to the box and found her satin red heels.  Caitlin rolled her eyes and sat down on the bed.  She slipped on the shoes and pulled the thin strap over her ankle and secured the silver buckle on the side of the heel.  Her hands were shaking.  "Dori, I can't believe that this is it!"

The blonde woman who'd been the closest thing she had to a mother smiled mistily at her.  "I can't believe you're all grown up!"

Caitlin stood up and double-checked her make up and her dress in the mirror.  She turned around and presented herself to Dori, who'd been the strongest, most positive influence in her life.  Smoothing the front of her dress, Caitlin smiled.  "How do I look?"

Dori rested her hands on Caitlin's shoulders.  "I am so proud of you Caitlin.  You have changed so much and I know if I don't stop talking," she sniffled, "I'm going to start bawling."  The two women laughed.

"But, before I take you down to that young man downstairs, I don't think something looks right.  I think you're missing something."

Caitlin frowned and turned to look at herself in the mirror.  She had her dress and her shoes and the hair she'd had done was fine.  What was Dori talking about?

The older woman came up behind her and placed a cool silver chain around her neck.  It held a thin small heart-shaped silver locket on it.  Caitlin fingered it lightly.  "What is it?" she whispered.

Dori turned her around and smiled.  "The chain is new, but the locket is something that your mother gave me when we were still teenagers.  It was a birthday gift.  I had almost forgotten about it, but the other day I was rummaging through the attic and came across it."

Caitlin didn't know what to say.  She had never expected this.  A locket that had been given to Dori by her mother?  Caitlin had to control every part of her that wanted to just break down and cry.  She looked up towards the ceiling, praying that the tears forming in the corners of her eyes wouldn't mess up the ton of make up they'd just applied.  "Thank you," Caitlin managed to choke out.

"I thought you'd like to have your mother with you, so I put a picture of her on the one side and a picture of the rest of the family on the other."

Caitlin threw her arms around Dori and finally gave in to the sentimentality of the situation.  When they finally pulled apart, Caitlin rushed to the mirror and checked her make up.  There was a little run of mascara, but nothing unfixable.

~ * ~

Finally as Caitlin walked down the stairs, slowly making her descent towards the trio of waiting friends and family, Caitlin couldn't help but feel happy.  It was one of the happiest moments of her life.  Caitlin felt horrible for making Eric wait, but when she made it to the base of the stairs, all she could do was blush as he complimented her.  "Caitlin, you look amazing," he had whispered.

~ * ~

There was an awkward silence in the car as they made their way to the high school.  "Sorry about back at the house," she apologized.  Dori and Jim kept chattering on and taking a large amount of photos.  Finally Caitlin had put her foot down and told them that they were leaving.

Eric shook his head.  "No.  That was fine!  I mean, like you could help that Dori's such a 'mom'."

Caitlin smiled and fingered the wrist corsage that Eric had brought her.  "Thanks for the corsage," Caitlin said awkwardly.  "It's really beautiful."

Eric looked over at Caitlin.  "You don't need one though.  It pales in comparison to how you look right now."  After the wondrous compliment, Eric quickly turned his eyes back to the road.

Caitlin felt the blood rush to her face.  "Thanks," she said meekly.

"Hey, did you hear that Brett is actually taking Taylor to the prom?" Eric exclaimed, somewhat bemused.

Caitlin shook her head.  "I can't believe they did this whole dance, when everybody knew that they'd eventually be going to the dance together."

Eric shrugged.  "I don't know.  I mean, I guess I understand why Taylor did it."

Caitlin jerked her head to her left.  "What?" she asked surprised.

Eric looked over at her and shrugged again.  "Well, she probably wanted to break up with him because of college next year.  Brett's going away on a basketball scholarship to UCA and Taylor is taking up Commerce at U of C."

Caitlin frowned.  She didn't know what that meant.  "So what?  She's going to break up with him and rub it in his face because they're going to different schools?"

Eric made a right hand turn into the parking lot.  As he turned off the engine, Eric looked at Caitlin intensely.  "Sure.  Long distance relationships don't work Caitlin.  Besides, who said that they're meant to stay together?"

Caitlin watched Eric get out of the car and run around to the passenger side door.  "Madam!" Eric joked, as he opened the door and offered his hand.  She took his hand as he helped her out of the car.

As they approached the school entrance, Caitlin stopped Eric for a moment.  "Not all long distance relationships are doomed you know?"

Eric frowned for a moment, puzzled at the statement.  "What?"

Caitlin swallowed.  "I said that not all long distance relationships are doomed to not work out."  She looked into his blue eyes that seemed to search hers for some answer to an unasked question.  "I mean, I think it depends on the people."

After a moment, Caitlin smiled and turned to face the high school doors.  "You ready to go in?" she asked.

Eric seemed frozen for a moment, but then snapped out of his reverie.  "Uh, yeah.  Sure.  Let's party _baby_" he joked, mimicking an Austin Power's accent.


	31. 31

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirty One 

As they entered the lavishly decorated gym, Caitlin couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline.  This was it.  It was her Senior Prom.  This would be her last year at High River.  She took a deep breath and greeted Nikki and Griffin who were hanging out by the ticket table.  Griffin's eyes widened and a big grin formed on his lips.  "Wow!  So this was what was the big secret hidden in that plastic garment bag," crowed Griffin.  "You look great Caitlin."

Caitlin blushed as Nikki, Eric and a couple of other fellow students nodded in agreement.  "Thanks," she whispered softly.  "Uh, so are we going to go in guys?"  

Caitlin motioned towards the crystal beaded entrance that opened the doors to the elegantly décor of the gym.  She'd been on the decorating committee and she knew that the crew had done extremely well to make the auditorium look like scene out of gay Paris.  They'd flooded the room with strings of white lights and put up scenic street venues that you might find in France.  

Eric led her into the gym and she could tell by the expression on his face that he was impressed.  "Wow!  You guys went all out!" he exclaimed.  "Dude, check out the mime!"

Griffin and Eric had spotted a local actor who'd agreed to play a mime on the streets of 'gay Paris'.  "Do you like it?" Caitlin chuckled.

Eric turned and looked at Caitlin in amazement.  "Do I like it?  Man this rocks!"

Caitlin laughed and tugged on Eric's sleeve.  "We'd better find a table."

Eric nodded and motioned for Griffin and Nikki to follow.  Caitlin made her way through the maze of round candlelit tables.  Just as she was about to point to an empty table, Griffin shouted over the music that was beginning to play on the stage.  "Hey, there's Jordan and Brett.  It looks like they've got room at their table."

Everyone began to change direction over to the table, which was neatly tucked away in a secluded corner.  Caitlin glanced over at Taylor who'd obviously went to a beautician and gotten her make up done.  Her hair was teased and curled and there was somewhat of a statuesque-like quality to the blonde, prom queen wannabe.  Caitlin smiled politely at her and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Caitlin," cooed Taylor.  "I never knew you could clean up so well.  Who'd have thought that a little make up and an expensive dress could make you actually look 'decent'."

Caitlin bit her tongue and refused to be goaded into a catfight.  Instead, Caitlin smiled and turned her gaze over to Brett and Jordan who looked dapper in their tuxes.  "You guys look great.  When did you get here?"

Brett puffed on his right hand and pretended to polish his fingernails on the lapel of his black tux.  "What did you expect?  I always make a tuxedo look good," he bragged, jokingly.

Everyone at the table groaned.  "So Caitlin, you got stuck with Eric huh?" Jordan teased.

Caitlin looked over at Eric.  "Actually I'm glad Eric asked me.  He's been a great date," she said proudly.

Eric seemed to blush at the compliment while their friends made 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhhs' at the revelation.  Caitlin smiled at him and winked.  Eric suddenly stood up almost knocking over his chair and clapped his hands together.  "So would anyone like some punch?" he asked awkwardly.

Brett, Griffin and Jordan looked at each other knowingly and stood up in unison.  "Yeah.  Sure," Griffin replied.  "I'm sure the girls are thirsty, right?"

Caitlin furrowed her brow and looked over at Nikki, Taylor and Alicia, Jordan's date.  "Uh, yeah.  Sure," Caitlin answered suspiciously.  The other girls nodded in agreement.

Caitlin couldn't help but feel a bit curious at the conversation the four boys were having while they made their way to the punch.  "What do you think that was about?" she asked the girls.

Taylor was the first to make a face.  "Caitlin, if you don't know, then you really need to get out more!" she retorted.  "Don't you think ladies?"

Nikki and Alicia seemed hesitant with their reply.  "You know Caitlin, I just think that Eric's probably feeling a little nervous," Nikki offered graciously.

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "Why?  It's not like we're on a _real_ date," she said half-jokingly, half-seriously.

Nikki and Alicia brows rose questioningly.  "Are you sure?" Alicia chirped.  "Cause you and Eric looked very cozy walking into the gym."

Caitlin's heart began to race.  Did they look like they were on a real date?  She knew that it seemed to have that feeling, but Caitlin didn't seem to get that vibe from Eric; that he wanted this to be a 'real' date.

"You're just making something out of nothing guys," Caitlin dismissed.  "We're just really good friends."

***

As he made his way to the punch table, Eric wasn't sure what to say.  His heart was pounding and his palms sweaty.  Eric could hear his three best friends talking around him, but didn't quite hear what they were saying.  He was mired in his own thoughts about Caitlin.

"Dude, what was that!" Jordan exclaimed hitting Eric on the back, jarring him back to reality.

Eric tried to play it cool.  "What do you mean?" he asked, picking up a punch glass and filling it up with the pink fruity beverage.

"What do you mean?" Brett exclaimed in confusion.  "Man, if that wasn't a hint, I don't know what is!"

Eric swallowed.  "Seriously guys, like I said before.  We're just friends."

Griffin shook his head.  "You know there's no getting away from it Eric.  You seriously have it bad for Caitlin.  And I think she probably likes you too.  If you don't act like a complete dork all night."

Eric picked up his two glasses of punch, waiting for the others to fill their glasses.  "Guys come on!" he chided.  "We're graduating and we're living in different states.  Why would I want to start dating her?  I mean that is if I actually like her!"

His best friends laughed out loud.  "Give it up!" Jordan sighed as he set the ladle down into the punch bowl and began to make his way back to the table.

~ * ~

Eric felt like his hands were all sweaty as he nervously wrapped his left arm around Caitlin's waist and she slipped her hand into his.  He cleared his throat and smiled as they slowly moved to Faith Hill's new song, 'Cry'.  "So uh, how are you liking our _prom_?" Eric laughed tensely.

Her dark brown eyes looked into his and he couldn't help but feel the blood rush to his face.  She seemed relaxed and at ease with their 'date' tonight; something that Eric wished he could be.  But Eric couldn't help but hear the boys teasing him about his feelings for Caitlin.

"I'm having a good time," Caitlin whispered, interrupting his thoughts.

Eric smiled briefly.  "Good.  I'm glad."

Caitlin suddenly threw her head back and laughed.  "Are you really going to be this stiff the entire night?"

Eric frowned.  "What do you mean?" he asked pulling away from their close dance position.  "I'm not stiff."

Caitlin shook her head and then motioned over to Griffin and Brett whose gaze hadn't left them since Eric had asked her to dance.  "You don't have to listen to them you know?  They're just trying to get under your skin."

Eric looked back at two of his best friends sitting at their table whispering to themselves.  He let out a deep breath and sighed.  "You know what they told to me tonight?" he asked.

Her smooth brow furrowed and her eyes darkened.  "What?  What did they say?"

He laughed as he recalled their conversation.  "They're determined to put the two of us together.  It's like we can't _just_ be friends, just because I'm a guy and you're a girl," he said exasperatingly.  "Can you believe that?  I mean we like to hang because we're good friends right?"

Caitlin paused a moment and looked into his eyes.  After a moment, she licked her lips and lowered her eyes.  "Yeah," she nodded.  "We're just friends and just because we like to hang out a lot, doesn't mean that we have to like each other like _that_."

Eric laughed half-heartedly and stopped dancing for a moment.  "Exactly," he replied.

He tried to push away the disappointment he felt as pulled Caitlin close again, and continued their dance.  Eric had been right.  They were nothing more than friends.  It was good that way.  He would be leaving for U of M anytime now and he didn't want his concentration to be somewhere else.

***

The dance was winding down and Caitlin was getting a little bit tired and hot in the now, stuffy gym.  A lot of the students had decided to go to the malt shoppe, but Caitlin just wanted to be outside.  It was a beautiful night, the moon was full and the stars shone brightly in the evening sky.  "So what are we doing?" Caitlin asked the near empty table.

Taylor and Brett had gone off on their own, and Griffin and Nikki had joined the group who'd gone to the malt shoppe.  The only couple left at their table was Jordan and Alicia.  "Well, actually Alicia has to catch a bus back home tomorrow, so we thought we'd just go back to my place," Jordan answered.  "But you guys are welcome to come?"

Caitlin looked over at Eric, who seemed nonchalant about the whole decision.  "Well?" she asked her date.

Eric's lips pursed and his eyes began to squint in hesitation.  "I don't really think we should bother you guys," he explained.  "You guys go ahead.  We might just go to the malt shoppe after all."

The two couples walked out of the gym and went their separate ways.  As Eric held the door for Caitlin as she awkwardly slid into the car, she looked up at him and frowned.  "Where are we going?" she asked curiously.

Eric smirked and winked.  He had something planned.  Caitlin knew it.  She didn't know whether she should be excited or worried.  With Eric, you never knew what you were getting into.

~ * ~

The Civic pulled into a gravel parking lot.  Caitlin had recognized some of the landmarks, which they passed, but the farther they drove, the less familiar Caitlin was with her surroundings.  As Eric helped her out of the car, Caitlin couldn't help but wonder what they were doing out in the middle of nowhere.  "Where are we Eric?"

Eric just smiled and pushed her gently away from the passenger side door.  "Just a second.  You'll see," he replied mischievously.

Caitlin watched as he pulled a couple of large backpacks out of the backseat.  She hadn't noticed those when he'd picked her up.  "Seriously Eric, what are we doing?  I'm not dressed for anything in the woods," Caitlin warned, as she peered out into the dark and could make out a wall of trees before her.

Eric grabbed her hand and led her to a medium sized concrete building.  It had two entrances.  The building seemed to be a public washroom.  "Here," he said shoving a backpack into her arms.  "Change into those."

Caitlin frowned.  "I'm not changing into anything unless you tell me what we're doing out here!" she exclaimed.

Eric shrugged.  "Fine, you'll miss out on the fun then."  He walked into one of the dimly lit doors.

Caitlin stood there debating for a moment, whether to give in to her curiosity.  Finally she slowly walked into the public bathroom and opened the backpack.  Caitlin didn't know what to expect to find in the bag, but to her surprise, she found her own clothes.  

When she had changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and put on a pair of hiking shoes, Caitlin came out and slung the backpack over her shoulder.  Eric was standing outside waiting for her with a grin on his face.  He raised his eyebrows and smiled a big Cheshire grin.  "Are you ready?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes and shook her head.  "Okay, what are you up to?" she asked suspiciously.

***

Eric didn't know if this was a good idea or not, but the more he thought about it during the week prior to the Prom, the more he liked it.  So he had gotten together with Dori and asked her if she could steal some casual clothes and put them in a backpack for him.  He had informed her of his little adventure he'd planned, and she seemed quite excited about it.  "She'll love it," Dori squealed excitedly.  "But if I'm not being nosy, why are you planning this for after the prom?"

Eric knew that Brett and Jordan would be doing their own thing with their dates and Griffin would still want to hang out with some of the other guys, but he didn't want to do something so obvious.  And what he had planned, was something he'd always wanted to do but something always seemed to come up or his coach wouldn't let him because it would 'hurt the team'.  Eric was graduating and now seemed a great time to do it.  It would be something to make prom memorable.  And Caitlin seemed the type to be up for it.

"Are you ready?" Eric asked Caitlin as he led her through the small grove of trees.

"It depends," growled Caitlin.  "Ready for what?"

Eric shone the flashlight out ahead of them and found the opening he had been looking for.  When he'd finally made it to the base of the mountain, Eric pointed with his flashlight, up the small mountain that stood before them.  "Ready for _that_," he grinned.

***

Caitlin didn't know what to say.  She had run through a million ideas of where Eric was taking her, but to a mountain wasn't one of them.  "What are you talking about?   What are we doing here?" she exclaimed.

"I thought that it would be a great time to climb this mountain!" Eric explained, his eyes glued on the dark mound.

"'Kay Eric, now I know you've gone off the deep end."

Eric turned to look at her.  "Look, I got this idea a week ago.  I thought since we're leaving High River soon, we should make our last nights here memorable.  We should do things that we've always wanted.  And I've always wanted to climb a mountain."

Caitlin was in shock.  There was no way she could climb a mountain.  It was impossible.  They didn't have the equipment.  She wasn't made for climbing mountains.  The list went on and on.

"Caitlin," Eric whispered, pulling her closer so that she could see his face.  "You really don't have to do this, but I'm going to.  I mean I've checked everything out.  This isn't a really big climb.  Actually we don't even need ropes or anything.  There's a walking path all the way up.  Come on, whaddya say?"

She took a deep breath and let out a big sigh.  "Why did you think I would _want_ to do this?" Caitlin laughed nervously.

Eric smiled that mischievous smile.  "Because you're always up for a challenge and I know that you're the only one crazy enough to do this with me on Prom night, while everyone else is probably making out?"

Caitlin hit him playfully and shook her head.  "I know I'm going to regret this, but okay."  She couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth.  "Okay, I'll do it."

***

Eric had been relieved when she'd agreed to the adventure.  By the end of the conversation it seemed less likely she would agree, but finally, when Eric saw that gleam in her eye, he knew she would do it.  However by the time they started out the sun had already begun to rise, which brought a new day upon them.

They had stopped a couple of times to rest and drink the bottled water he'd brought.  It was during those moments that Eric knew he'd remember that night.  He couldn't have thought of a better person to experience climbing that mountain with.  Who needed to be making out when you could experience the challenge and exhilaration of reaching the top of a mountain?

"Are we there yet?" Caitlin puffed, wiping her brow.

Eric groped for a tree branch for some leverage to make that last climb up to the mountain peak.  "We're almost there."

He grabbed her wrist and helped her up that last doozy of a step.  Both climbers lay flat on their backs as they reached the top of the mountain peak.  Eric felt like his lungs would collapse and that he couldn't move one more inch.  "We made it Caitlin," he chuckled as he lay with his eyes closed.

"Yeah, we made it," she gasped.  "And don't you ever make me do that again!"

Eric felt her hit him in the shoulder, which made him finally move.  As he slowly sat up and opened his eyes, he couldn't believe the view that surrounded them.  The sun was peering out behind the peak of Rockies.  The sky was filled with hues of pink, orange, and purple.  It was surreal.  

It was beautiful.

"Eric?" Caitlin whispered.  "I can't believe we're here!"

Eric turned to look at Caitlin.  Her face was smudged with dirt and dust.  She'd taken out the pins that held her hair up just a few hours before and pulled it back into a ponytail.  Her clothes were disheveled and she looked tired and worn.  But on top of that, Caitlin had this amazing smile on her face.

He returned the smile and threw his hands up into the air.  Eric had found his second wind.  "WE MADE IT!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.  The words echoed through the valley below, against the walls of rock and dirt.

Caitlin's laugh joined his words in a triumphant melody.  "We did it!" she joined in.  "We're on top of the WORLD!"

When the excitement and thrill of reaching the top had gone, Eric pulled out of his backpack, Caitlin's camera.  "Do you think you could take a couple of pictures of us up here?"

Caitlin's eyes widened.  "I can't believe you have that!" she exclaimed, fingering her camera.  "I can't believe I would have missed it."

Eric smiled.  "We got it the night of the prom.  Dori snuck it into my backpack."

Caitlin raised the camera to her face and snapped a couple of landscape shots.  "It's amazing up here Eric.  Thanks for making me come."

Eric laughed.  "I didn't know if you would.  I just had a hunch.  I figure if I dare you to do something, it will eventually make you come around."

Caitlin lowered her camera and squinted.  "You didn't dare me," she corrected.  "You just said…"

"I just challenged you…" he interrupted Caitlin.

Eric sighed and smiled.  "Hey, can we get a picture together up here?  I know I didn't bring a tripody thing, but I don't think it would have fit in the backpack."

Caitlin snapped a couple more pictures and then lowered her camera and smiled.  "I'll see what I can do."

Eric watched as she looked around for a flat mount to prop her camera on.  Caitlin turned and looked over at Eric.  "I think I've found one," she exclaimed.

She climbed on top of the mound and lay flat on her stomach.  "Could you move a little to your left?" Caitlin yelled.  "I've got to see if I can get us both in the shot from here."

Eric moved over a few inches.  "How's that?"

Caitlin raised her hand, though not taking her eyes from the camera lens.  "Perfect.  Just stay right there," she commanded.

Eric watched her press a button on top of her camera and jump down from the little smooth cliff several feet away from him.  Caitlin scrambled over to Eric and wrapped her arms around his shoulder.  "Keep your eye on the camera," she said through her smile.

The flash went off and Caitlin scrambled back to the camera.  "Just wait," she laughed.  "I just want to take one more just in case."

This time, Caitlin tilted her head so that it was touching his as he reached around her waist and held her gently.  When the camera flashed, this time Caitlin didn't rush off to check on it.  Eric held her right in the same place.

The sun was high above them and it created a glow around her.  Her hair glinted in the rays of the sun and small whisps of hair fell into her face.  Eric couldn't imagine a more perfect moment than right then.  He let his hands drift down to her sides and grasped her hands.  Taking a few steps forwards, Eric tilted his head to the left and kissed her gently on her soft ruby lips.

_The perfect night._


	32. 32

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirty Two 

When Caitlin pulled away from Eric's soft lips, her head was buzzing and she felt like someone had wrapped her in a warm fuzzy blanket.  She never expected the kiss.  One minute they were sharing the high of actually climbing the mountainside and next she found herself in a tender kiss.

"Caitlin?"

She swallowed as he called her name.  Her gaze was lowered to the ground.  What was Caitlin going to say?  She'd kissed a guy before, sure, but this felt different.  Caitlin knew that this was something more than just attraction.  When she allowed herself to be truly honest with herself, Caitlin knew that she could actually picture herself with Eric as more than just friends.

"Yeah," she replied awkwardly.  When Caitlin finally worked up the nerve to look up at Eric, who was standing there with a disconcerted look on his face, she smiled briefly and pointed to the camera.  "Uh, I should go get my camera."  Caitlin stood there for a moment, unmoved.  Eric stood there motionless, until finally after a few minutes, he nodded his head in agreement.

"Uh, yeah," he stammered.

Caitlin smiled quickly again and jogged over to the flat peak where she'd placed her camera.  As she advanced her film, Caitlin took this time away from Eric to calm herself, trying to quiet the gambit of emotions that were overwhelming her.  How many times had Eric mentioned his distaste for long distance relationships?  And that definitely would be what they would be going through.  Caitlin had no plans of sticking around here for her college education.  NYU had practically told her that she'd been accepted, with early admittance.

Caitlin shook her head.  She didn't even know why she was even thinking about this.  It was just a kiss.  It wasn't a marriage proposal or anything of that sort.

_'But this is not the first time he's kissed you,' a quiet voice inside her head reminded her_.

Caitlin peered over to the cliff peak, where Eric was kneeling, stuffing his fleece into his backpack.  She closed her eyes and chided herself for indulging herself in these thoughts.  _'Why not?' the voice asked incredulously. 'He's cute and he's one of your best friends.'_

"Hey Caitlin?  We'd better be getting back.  I told Jim I'd have you back for an early lunch," Eric shouted, startling Caitlin from an internal debate.

Caitlin's head turned to look over at Eric and waved her hand, signaling to him that she was almost ready.  "Two secs, and I'll be ready," she replied.

Eric walked towards her and motioned her to lead the way down the mountain path.  Caitlin slung the backpack upon her shoulders and sighed.  "Do you think that anyone will believe that we did this?" Caitlin finally asked, as they made their way down the trail.

She watched Eric shrug his shoulders.  He seemed to distance himself from her again.  "I don't know," he said complacently.  "But we have those pictures if they don't?"

Suddenly Caitlin found herself broaching the subject, which had decidedly made each person uncomfortable.  "Do you think we should talk about the kiss?" she mumbled.

Eric, who was just a few paces in front of her, stopped and looked at Caitlin over her shoulder.  "What did you say?" he asked uneasily.

Caitlin tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  "Uh, I asked…um, if we should talk about the kiss that we had…" her voice trailed off.  She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.  Caitlin didn't know why she was the one who was asking about it, it had been Eric who'd instigated the kiss.

"Oh," was his reply.

Caitlin swallowed uneasily, as a silence had fallen between them.  Eric's face was contorting in several different expressions.  He seemed about to say something and then his shoulders would drop and he'd let out a wordless sigh.  Obviously Eric was also confused by his actions.

"So?" Caitlin asked expectantly.  "What are you thinking?"

Eric looked up, his eyebrows raised, lips parted as if about to answer, when once again he dropped his shoulders and shook his head.  Finally the blonde managed to find his voice again, though it didn't resolve the questions either of them had.  "We…" He paused.  "We should get back down," Eric managed to mumble, as he turned around and continued their trek back to the base of the mountain.

***

The drive back to the Lowe's ranch was a quite one, interspersed with moments of awkward conversation and meaningless fluff.  Eric hadn't planned to end the night like this.  It seemed like all the fun and the energy they'd built up striving for that unattainable goal, yet somehow having reached it was sapped in that one impulsive moment.  Eric had let his resolution wane and wound up kissing the girl he vowed to himself he'd never kiss again.  He felt like a complete jerk.

Caitlin didn't even blink when he didn't answer her question.  There had been so much he'd wanted to say, but every time Eric thought of how to say it, the words seemed to ring hollow.  Eric could have made up a thousand excuses or reasons why he'd so impulsively kissed Caitlin, but he couldn't lie to her.  He cared about her too much and never wanted for them to go their separate ways with a lie hanging between them, so Eric balked at the question and opted to say nothing.

Eric glanced over at the passenger seat.  All was quiet now, since Caitlin dozed off during the halfway mark of their trip home.  Her pale face was serene while she slept.  However much he wanted to create something with Caitlin, Eric couldn't deny the apprehension he felt knowing that she was going to New York.

He couldn't allow himself to fall for Caitlin, although, he already knew he felt more than friendship towards the spitfire.  Eric knew in his heart that he could definitely see himself spending eternity with this girl, except for the inevitable.  As he slowed the vehicle down and turned into the Lowes' gravel driveway, Eric stole one more glance at the sleeping beauty.

When he'd brought the car to a halt, Eric heard Caitlin's low grumble as she began to wake up from her slumber.  He smiled as the Lowe family began to trickle out of the house.  Eric opened the car door and greeted them.  "Hey!" he called waving as he approached the porch he'd so often climbed entering the Lowes' house.

Caitlin trailed a bit, as she began to rub the sleep from her eyes.  Finally when Eric had just climbed up on the first step of the porch, Caitlin had caught up to him and joined him in meeting Jim and Dori's smiling faces.  "What took you guys so long?" Dori asked.  "We were getting a little worried."

Eric shrugged.  "Uh, would you believe _traffic_?" he offered comically.

Jim rolled his eyes as Dori wrapped her arm around him; meanwhile Jim was doing the same thing with Caitlin_._  "So, did you guys reach the top?  Or did you just sit out in the car long enough to let us think that you climbed the mountain?" the older Sheriff teased.

"I've got proof that we climbed it," Caitlin exclaimed, patting her backpack.  "Right in here."

Eric loved being at the Lowes' Ranch.  It was a second home, but right at that moment, he felt awkward pretending that nothing else happened atop that mountain peak, while everyone was moving on and sitting down for a hearty lunch.  Eric thought everyone had been invited for the lunch, but the only people in the house were he, Jim, Dori, and Caitlin.  And he didn't feel like making inane chitchat while Jim and Dori interrogated his and Caitlin's evening.

Just as Eric was about to make some lame excuse about being tired so he might eat quickly and leave, Griffin and the rest of the group from their table showed up.  "Hey!  What were you guys going to start without us?" Griffin asked in dismay.  Suddenly Eric received an excited hug from his best friend.  "Amigo!  We missed you last night."  

Eric smiled half-heartedly and nodded.  "Sorry man, just didn't want to go to the Malt Shoppe," he chuckled.

"Well you missed one heck of a party," Brett boasted.  "There were tons of people there."

Eric looked over at Caitlin who remained eerily quiet.  He shrugged.  "Oh well," he said dismissively.

"Hey, what did you guys go off and do?" Taylor asked, wagging her finger at both he and Caitlin suggestively.

Suddenly he felt a semi-circle of eyes boring into him, all curious as to the answer of Taylor's question.  Eric felt the blood rush to his face and opened his mouth to say something, but Caitlin interrupted.  "We climbed a mountain," she stated, glaring at Taylor.  "We thought we'd do something unusual for prom."

Eric sighed, thankful that Caitlin was more composed than he was in the situation.  Caitlin threw him a short smile, which made Eric relax.  She seemed to have put the kiss behind her, as they began to pass around the sandwiches and fruit.  They didn't have to talk about it there at the table.  In fact it was just something that was between he and Caitlin, no one else.

As he accepted the plate of sandwiches and selected a couple of ham and cheese to put on his plate, Eric couldn't help but feel a bit relieved.  Caitlin wasn't going to push the subject.  Maybe she didn't even want to pursue it.  After all, he had been the one to kiss her.  Maybe it was just his imagination that Caitlin enjoyed it and kissed him back.

But when that thought crossed his mind, Eric now felt a new tension in his body.  Maybe Caitlin wouldn't want to talk about it because she didn't want to hurt him.Maybe Caitlin wouldn't be interested at all.  Suddenly Eric didn't feel very hungry.

_ Maybe his feelings for Caitlin were as one sided as the conversation he was having with himself._


	33. 33

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirty Three 

Graduation.  A day Caitlin never thought would come.  As she peered into the mirror, Caitlin couldn't believe she was standing in the flowing blue gown.  She'd seen so many seniors before her, walk across that stage, and now it was her turn.  It was a far cry from the streets and the dark road she would have traveled if it hadn't been for Dori, Jim and Griffin.

Knock. Knock.

"Yeah?" Caitlin answered, still starting at herself in the mirror.  It only seemed like yesterday she was wearing a leather jacket and had streaks of purple in her hair.  Now she stood in front of the mirror, without hair dye, well, okay her hair was dyed, but they were called highlights to normal people.  And she was, normal that is.

"I just wanted to check if you were ready to head to the school," Jim said, leaning against the door he was holding.  "You look beautiful Caitlin."

Caitlin didn't want to turn around and face Jim.  She knew that if she did, he would make her cry and she didn't want to ruin her make up.  "Thank you," she choked out, taking a deep breath and sighing.  "It's been a long road hasn't it?"

Jim laughed and shook his head.  "You can say that again."  Caitlin listened as his footsteps drew nearer.  She felt his hands rest gently on her shoulders and saw Jim come into view in the reflection of the mirror.  "You know how proud of you I am?" he whispered.  Caitlin could see the tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"You can't cry," Caitlin ordered.  "Or you'll make me cry."

They looked at each other in the mirror, both smiling.  Then all of the sudden Griffin burst through the door.  "Hey!  Let's get the show on the road!" he exclaimed excitedly.  "Our chariot awaits!"  

Caitlin patted Jim's hand and followed after Griffin who had dashed down the hallway.

~ * ~

"Okay guys, smile!" Dori shouted from behind the Nikon digital camera that they'd just recently bought.

Caitlin and Griffin stood side by side, clothed in their cap and gown.  Dori had decided to take pictures on the stairs.  Each made a funny face at each other and laughed as the flash went off.  "So how many do you think she'll take?" Griffin asked sarcastically.

"Oh, a hundred or so."  Caitlin motioned over to the kitchen counter and brought his attention to the rolls of film she had lined up in a row.  "Give or take a _couple_ of rolls."  She laughed and nudged Griffin lightly on the shoulder.

"Mom!" Griffin whined.  "We really have to get to the school."

"Just a couple more!" Dori protested happily.

Caitlin stifled her laugh and raised her eyebrows at Griffin who was slowly collapsing on the stairs in a form of protest.  "But we're going to be late!" Griffin moaned, as he stood up one more time, prodded by a glaring Jim.  Dori's face was once more hidden behind the camera and when the flash had blinded them for the fifth time, Caitlin and Griffin shook their heads in protest and headed out the door.  

"Remember the ceremonies are at one," Caitlin reminded Dori and Jim as she rushed out the door.  "You should probably come early to get good seats."

~ * ~

Griffin was already waiting for her in the car as she bound down the wooden steps of the porch.  Her hand lifted the door handle and she quickly slid into the passenger seat, as Griffin impatiently, began to back out of the driveway.  She looked at her cousin and glared.  "You know you could at least wait until I get into the car!" Caitlin said rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," Griffin mumbled.  "We still have to pick up Eric and it's already 11:30."

Caitlin frowned.  "So?  We've got plenty of time!  The ceremonies don't start until one," she explained.  "We've got plenty of time to pick up Eric and the entire football for that matter!"

Griffin looked over at Caitlin as if she had something on her face.  "What?" she exclaimed.

"I can't believe you're so calm about all of this!"

"Calm about what?" Caitlin was confused.  She'd never seen Griffin so flustered.  He looked like he was sweating buckets.  "Why are you so fidgety?" Caitlin asked, as she watched Griffin continue to adjust his car seat.

"Hello?" Griffin cried.  "We're graduating today!  No more school, no more books.  No more teacher's dirty looks!"

Caitlin sighed and shook her head.  She sat back in the passenger seat and began to laugh.  "Are you crazy?  We've got probably four or five more years of school.  I can't say that I'm looking forward to it right now either."

Griffin shook his head.  "But that's different.  It's university and college.  It's not high school anymore Toto."

As they pulled into Eric's driveway and he shifted the car into park, Griffin looked steadily at Caitlin.  "It's good bye High River and hello world!" he said quietly.

Caitlin couldn't help but feel sympathetic to Griffin and what seemed to be an overwhelming sense of anxiety.  She didn't know why she was so calm.  When they had finished their final exams, Caitlin wasn't caught up in the elation every other senior was at writing their last test in that high school.  She was sad more than anything else.  But she got over it, and was now excited at what the future had in store.

Caitlin opened the passenger door and allowed Eric the room the climb into the back seat.  "Hey Eric!" Caitlin smiled, glancing at him over her shoulder.

Though they hadn't really talked much after prom, since exams were during that week, Caitlin did feel that things had settled back down into their normal routine again.  They hung out more in a group than together and Caitlin didn't know if it was him, or her, but they never seemed to be in the room together for more than a few minutes before someone would join their conversation.  It definitely didn't leave room to talk about the prom or what they really felt.  Caitlin turned around in her seat and faced the dusty gravel road again. 

"Hey guys.  Is it me, or do parents just go crazy when their kids graduate?" Eric chuckled.  "I don't know how many times I had to tell them that I was fine and that I really didn't need another picture of me in my cap and gown."

Caitlin looked over at Griffin, who was staring at Caitlin, and they both laughed.  "Yeah.  Same here," Griffin groaned.  "It was bad.  I mean, did both your parents come into your room and just stand there looking at you, sniffing and grinning like a Cheshire cat?"

"Worse," Eric sighed.  "They kept patting my head and squeezing my cheeks."  He leaned back in his seat and pulled off his cap.  "It was like I was 4 not 18."

Caitlin turned around and stuck out her lower lip.  "Oh, that's so sad, you poor baby!"  Eric rolled his eyes at her and looked away, trying not to laugh.  "Shut up Seeger," Eric exclaimed.

Just as Caitlin was about to reply, the car lurched forward and then stopped.  "Our last day of school awaits!" Griffin exclaimed, snapping the seatbelt release and jumping out of the car.

Caitlin didn't realize that they'd already arrived.  As she hopped out of the car and pulled the release for the passenger side seat forward, Caitlin couldn't help but feel a slight flutter of butterflies.  Eric climbed out of the back seat and smiled at her.  "Here's to our last day at High River!" he grinned, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and guiding her towards the familiar doors.

Griffin jogged over to Caitlin and also wrapped his arm around Caitlin.  "So are you nervous now?" Griffin inquired suspiciously, sticking his finger in her face.

Caitlin narrowed her eyes and slapped his hand away.  "No," she said matter-of-factly.  Caitlin was of course, lying, but there was no way she'd let Griffin or Eric know how jittery she felt.   But their conversation was short lived because as they passed through the school doors, Griffin spotted Nikki and Eric mentioned something about having to grab something from his locker.

As Caitlin surveyed the empty halls, reminiscing about all the outrageous conversations and stupid pranks, arguments and jokes, she began to photograph this moment.  Caitlin knew that this would be her last day as a student of High River.

***

The ceremonies had gone well.  As they had congregated in the first several rows of the gymnasium, Eric couldn't help but feel excited.  He'd spotted his parents and the Lowes in the first row of the audience seating.  He really hated ceremonies like this though, they had a tendency to run long and be overbearing.  But as it was, the procession and the awarding of scholarships seemed to fly by a lot faster than he had imagined.

Eric had received the Denmar's Memorial Scholarship for Most Valuable Player of the year.  It would help defer some of the cost of university, but Eric was hoping to hear good news from U of M or U of C.  Though he had his sights on U of M, Eric thought he'd better have a back up plan just in case he didn't get accepted to Montana.  University of Colorado ended up being closer to High River anyway, but there was something about U of M.  He'd always dreamed of going there.

Of course though, since he applied to go to U of C, Griffin also followed suit and applied there as a back up plan too.  Eric was glad that Griffin had decided to go in with him on this.  It made everything a lot less stressful and anxious.  Besides, they had both examined the two universities curriculum and decided that there wasn't too much difference in the universities.

"Pssst," Brett whispered as the Principal was finishing up the ceremonies.  "What's up for afterwards?"

Eric shrugged.  "I don't know."

Suddenly a trickle of applause began to sound as Mr. Pettigrew announced, "And here is your graduating class of 2002!"

Eric stood up along side his classmates and clapped along with the hundreds of parents.   It was over.  He would be going to university and moving away from all his friends.

Suddenly Caitlin stumbled over with Griffin and they were holding onto their caps, just in case they fell off.  "What are you guys doing?" Eric said frowning.  They both had smiles on their faces, which Eric couldn't resist, and his frown turned into a smile.

"We didn't think we should do this a couple of rows away from you, just didn't feel right," Griffin explained.

"Do what?" Eric asked.  He watched as both Caitlin and Griffin looked at each other and pulled their caps off.  Suddenly Eric realized what they were talking about.  "Oh!"  Eric slipped off his cap, running his empty hand through his tousled blonde hair.  "Well, let's do it!" he smirked.

All three of them lowered their arms with the blue caps and the gold tassels and flung them in the air.  Eric laughed out loud and hugged Griffin.  "Dude, we're graduates!" he yelled.  "Whoohooo!"

"Yeah, I can't believe it!" Griffin shook his head.  "Um, hey, I see Brett and Jordan.  I gotta talk to them for a second, kay?"

Eric nodded.  "Yeah.  No problem!  I gotta go find my parents anyway."

He watched as Griffin stumbled through the large mass blue gowns, calling to Brett and Jordan.  Eric turned awkwardly to Caitlin.  "Hey, congratulations on the Art bursary."  He pointed to the manilla envelope in her hand.

Caitlin's face was red, from the body heat that the mass of people created in such a small gymnasium.  "Yeah.  Hey, congratulations on the  scholarship!  I mean that was pretty much a sure thing there!"

Eric shrugged.  "I wasn't too sure.  I mean, if Brett hadn't been out for most of the sports season, I'm sure he would have had a chance at it," he said dismissively.  "So have you seen Dori and Jim?"

Caitlin shook her head.  "No, but I'm sure they're around here somewhere," she smiled, rolling her eyes.  "Dori will want to get pictures of the gang and stuff.  I know she will."

"Well I don't think I mind so much anymore.  It'll be nice to have a picture of us here in our gowns.  Last time I think we'll ever be students here, eh?"

"Yeah," Caitlin sighed.

"What are you speechless Seeger?  That's never happened before!" Eric laughed.  Then he sobered and slowly nodded his head.  Eric picked up his and Caitlin's cap off the floor.  "I know what you mean though," he said awkwardly.  "It's going to be weird not having to come here every day."

"Yeah," she smiled softly.

Eric looked around him, they were surrounded by wall to wall people.  He frowned and scratched his head.  "Do you, uh, want to go outside?" Eric mumbled.  "It's kind of getting a little bit crowded in here."

Caitlin's eyes darted around the mass of people hedging them in and nodded.  "Yeah."

***

Caitlin pulled out the black elastic that held her hair back into a neat ponytail and ran her fingers through it.  "So what are you doing for the summer?" she asked curiously.

"Just working on the ranch until the fall."

Caitlin nodded.  "Oh.  Yeah, me too."

Eric raised his eyebrows.  "Really?"

He seemed surprised.  Caitlin didn't know why.  What did he think she was doing for the summer?

"Where are you working?" Eric asked inquisitively.

Caitlin unzipped her gown and slipped it off her shoulders.  "Well, I got this job at the newspaper in town."

Eric frowned.  "I didn't know we had a newspaper!  We always got one from Boulder?"

Caitlin had a big grin on her face.  "We didn't, until now.  They're starting a newspaper in High River and I'm doing the photography.  And even maybe a little journalism."  She grinned from ear to ear.  "They said it possibly could work into my degree at NYU."

Eric looked shocked.  His mouth kept opening and closing without saying a word.  Suddenly Caitlin found himself in a bear hug.  "Congratulations.  That sounds great!" he exclaimed, pulling out of the embrace.  "I can't believe you're staying for the summer.  I thought for sure you'd be heading out to NYU, maybe pick up a job there before school starts."

Caitlin didn't know what to say.  It didn't seem logical for her to move out and start paying rent on an apartment before the fall semester started.  "No way.  I've got to save up some money for school.  I don't know how I'm actually affording to go to NYU!" Caitlin muttered under her breath.

"Caitlin!" Griffin called, jogging towards them.  Caitlin saw Dori and Jim, trailing close behind with Eric's parents too.

"Besides," Caitlin turned to Eric and smiled, "I wouldn't miss my last summer here for anything."  She turned to greet Jim and Dori, whose faces were beaming.  Eric nudged Caitlin in the arm.  "Well I guess we'd better make it a good one then, huh?" he smirked.

Just then, the crowd of family and friends surrounded them and offered congratulatory hugs and kisses.  Caitlin basked in the glow of this wondrous day.  She didn't think she would have another one like it.


	34. 34

Spoilers:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

Disclaimer:  I own none of these characters, and if I did, I would have never gotten rid of Eric! :D  May indeed include fictional shops and stores.

Pairings:  C/E, snippets of C/W

Chapter Thirty Four 

Eric pulled the truck in front of the hardware store.  He was just running into town to pick up some nails and a few other odds and ends for the ranch.  It had been a busy summer.  They had been running a lot of their cattle to shows all over Montana.  The Anderson's had even managed to win a few ribbons.  After quickly running through the aisles in the small hardware store, Eric found what he needed.  He placed the bag of nails and a new hammer on the counter and charged them to their account.

As he stepped out of the store, Eric noticed a small crowd outside the Malt Shoppe.  He couldn't imagine what the fuss was.  Though it was the summer, he had never seen it this busy.  When he had thrown his bag of stuff into the truck, Eric jogged over to the favorite hangout of most of the high school kids on their summer break.  However, he was having a hard time seeing over top of the several people pushing into the building.  "What's going on here?" he mumbled to himself.

A teenage girl must have overheard him and answered, "There is a movie going to be filmed just outside High River.  And they're in the Malt Shoppe!  Can you believe it?"

Eric began to clap frantically, joining in on the teenage frenzy.  "Yeah!" he said facetiously, in a high-pitched feminine voice.  "I can't wait!"  The blonde haired girl rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the crowd that slowly inched forward.  He frowned.  _A movie_?  He found it laughable.  In fact he did laugh, out loud.

"What are you laughing about?" Caitlin asked, startling Eric.

He turned around and saw Caitlin standing in front of him with her famous camera hanging around her neck.  She had started her position at the High River Bugle a week after graduation.  It had kept her quite busy and on the road at times.  He hardly ever saw her in between his job and hers.  "It's just someone just said they're going to be making a film here!  Can you believe how hokey that is?  I bet it's not even worth seeing," Eric scoffed.

Caitlin shrugged.  "It can't be that bad.  They've got some pretty big name actors in it," she smiled.

Eric rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, who?"

"Well Tate Bellmer from last year's big summer hit, _Times Wasting_.  She's playing a city girl moving into a small town.  She meets one of the local guys and falls in love.  But the twist is, her ex-husband comes looking for her and wants her back," Caitlin explained the outline of the plot.

The movie had about as much intrigue and excitement as a bale of hay.  "Are you kidding me?  That sounds sad if you ask me," Eric sighed.

"Well it really doesn't matter when they found a way to get _Sean Kevin_ to be the male lead!" Caitlin grinned.  

Eric was ready to gag, as Caitlin became a puddle of goo at the name '_Sean Kevin'_, a big teen heartthrob.  He didn't think she would fall for that Hollywood garbage.  "Oh puh-lease," Eric groaned.  "You like a guy with a _two_ first names?"

Caitlin stuck out her tongue at him and he chuckled.  "Oh, brother, for someone who just graduated high school, you have the maturity of 12 year old."

The fiery auburn glared at him.  "Oh and you should talk?  At least I'm not up all hours of the night with Griffin trying to beat that new computer game he got for grad."

Eric looked indignantly at Caitlin.  "Hey, that's a college level computer challenge.  Don't knock it until you've got the skills to beat it!"

They looked at each other for moment; a sudden silence surrounded them, and then burst out laughing.  "Graduation doesn't really make us mature does it?" Caitlin asked, slipping her camera strap over her head.

Eric shook his head.  "Are you here to get some pictures?"  He pointed to the camera.  Caitlin had already made her mark on High River with the sometimes stunning, comedic, or heart-tugging pictures.  Eric had started a scrapbook of all of her in print shots and some of her first informative articles.  The newspaper, run by one Jason Dark, had just begun putting her on some odds and ends pieces.  Most of the time they ended up being fluff columns, about the community events that week, or what someone had done that weekend, but all of it interesting.  Caitlin always managed to put a different spin on what could have been a mundane story.

"Yeah, they wanted me to get some shots for the weekend extra."

"Oh," Eric nodded.  "Well, I guess if you're busy, I should let you get on with the _excitement_."  He began to head towards his truck when he felt Caitlin's hand stop him.  Eric turned around and frowned.  "Yeah?"

Caitlin's brow creased and she bit her lip unconsciously.  "Do you want to wait a minute?  I'm almost finished.  I just need to get a couple of pictures of the crowd outside the Malt Shoppe," she explained.

"Don't you have to get in there and take pictures of the 'stars'?" Eric asked sarcastically.

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "I've already gotten pictures of them in the Malt Shoppe.  I was just coming out to take some wide end shots."

Eric's lips rounded into a 'oh'-shape and he nodded.  "Yeah. I can wait, but I have to get back to the ranch soon," Eric said.  "I just came into town to run a few errands."

Caitlin flashed him a beautiful smile.  "No problem, I was hoping you'd give me a ride home anyway."

Eric tilted his head.  "What happened to Griffin lending you his car?"

"It's in the shop."

"Oh.  Well no problem."  Eric watched quietly back at his truck, as Caitlin moved around the crowd, finding the perfect angle and lighting for her shot.  She seemed so comfortable doing this.

"Okay, I'm done," she huffed as she jogged over.  "I don't even need to go back to the office."

Eric grinned lazily and gestured to the passenger door.  "Hop in then."

***

Caitlin was glad that she caught Eric when she did.  They hadn't seen each other, except for the odd hello when she was heading out the door on an assignment and he was hanging out with Griffin.  She missed talking with him and just being with him.  There was this sort of ease she felt around him that she didn't have with most other people -- that, and the fact that she missed sparring with him in a battle of words and wit.

"So Caitlin, I heard you're entering a couple of your pictures in the upcoming Summer Arts Festival."

Caitlin sighed.  "Yeah.  Jason told me that I should do it, and with there being prize money, I think it might be worth it."

"Well I'm sure you're going to win," Eric said confidently.  "You've got a great portfolio of photos to choose from."

Caitlin's brow furrowed and she felt her jaw drop.  "Portfolio?" she said in disbelief.  "When did you pick up photography?  I thought the most you knew about the arts and stuff was the three primary colors and even that I wasn't sure about.

Eric glanced over at Caitlin and leered, laughing unamused.  "Ha. Ha," Eric groaned.  "That's _so_ funny."

Caitlin laughed.  "I'm kidding.  _Sort of_," Caitlin teased.  "But really, I didn't know the word 'portfolio' was in your vocabulary."

Eric smirked.  "There's a lot of things you don't know about me," he said mischievously.

As he drove up the Lowes' driveway, Caitlin couldn't help but wish that the drive from town wasn't so short.  "Um, so what are you doing now?"

Eric shrugged.  "I have a couple more chores to finish up and then I'll probably either see if Griffin is off work and wants to do something."

Caitlin nodded feeling awkward for asking him the question.  "Well, why don't you come in and see if Griffin's here, then you don't have to phone?" she suggested.  Eric nodded and followed Caitlin into the house.  "How has the ranch been doing anyway?  I know from a few of the articles we've had in the paper, your cows are doing well on the show circuit."

"_Cattle_," Eric sighed.  "I thought we went through this once before?"

Caitlin blushed.  "Yeah, right.  _Cattle_."  She laughed and put her camera case on the kitchen counter.  Dori was chopping vegetables on the island.   Caitlin smiled as Dori looked up and noticed the two.  "Hey," Caitlin greeted, grabbing a glass from the cupboards.

"Hey guys.  I wasn't expecting you home so soon.  Eric, are you looking for Griffin?"

Eric nodded.  "Yeah, I was wondering if he was working today?"

Dori grimaced.  "Yeah, he is," she said apologetically.  "Mr. Adler needed him to work on his day off.  And he'll be coming home late, too."

Eric shrugged.  "That's okay," he smiled.  "Can you just tell him to give me a call when he gets home?"

Dori nodded.  "Sure.  No problem."

Caitlin watched the exchange silently, not wanting to interrupt them.  As she noticed Eric hedging toward the door, she put down her glass of apple juice and walked him to the door.  "Well, I guess I'll see you around?" Caitlin chirped.

"Yeah," Eric nodded, "I'll see you around."

As he turned to leave, Caitlin stopped him.  "Hey, I was thinking I might go take Bandit out for a workout.  I haven't ridden her this week and I'm sure she's getting stir crazy."

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking of riding by your place?" Caitlin said hesitantly.  "It's a nice ride and Bandit hasn't been out there for a while."

Eric smiled.  "Sure.  If you come by in about an hour, I should be done chores by then."

Caitlin leaned against the door.  "Sure!"  She watched Eric bound down the wooden steps and jump into his truck.  Caitlin waved as he backed out of their driveway.  She pressed her hands to her cheek; they were warm.  As Caitlin felt her heart slow to its normal rhythm, she closed the door and went to the kitchen to get a few articles written up.

***

Eric yelled and called at the slow, thickheaded animals that were moving at a snails pace into the pen.  He slid down out of his saddle and made sure the gate was latched tightly.  In the last few days, the cattle had been getting out, and it usually took him a half an hour to wrangle them back in.

"Eric!" Mr. Anderson called.

Eric turned around and waved.  "What?" he bellowed.

"Did you make sure the bullpens are secure?"

Eric rolled his eyes and waved dismissively.  "Yeah Dad, I double checked the hatches."

The tall dark haired man whom Eric had known all his life nodded his satisfaction and gave him a thumbs-up sign.  "Great.  Your Mom and I are going to town tonight, do you think you can watch everything by yourself?"

"Dad," Eric groaned.  "I've been doing this for like, what? Three years now?  Duh!"

Mr. Anderson frowned.  "You know I don't like it when you say those slang words!"

Eric snorted and turned back to the gate.  "Whatever Dad!" he yelled, bending down and picking up Jasper's reigns.

"Well, with an attitude like that, no wonder you can't get a date with Caitlin," Mr. Anderson teased, placing his hands on his hips.  "I mean Eric, you have to be a little more likeable than that."

Eric's eyes widened.  What did his Dad just yell across their backyard?  He swallowed.  Slowly, Eric turned around and headed towards the house where his dad was waiting.  "Uh, what did you say?"

"I _sa-id_," Mr. Anderson drawled.  "That if you don't treat Caitlin nicer than that, she's never ever going to go out with you!"

Eric was freaking out.  His head began to spin and there were no words to express how stunned, bewildered and speechless this made him.  "Wh-aaat?" was all that Eric could manage.

His father patted him amusingly on the shoulder.  "I'm just teasing you son," Mr. Anderson laughed.  "Lighten up!"  The man whom Eric had always admired turned on his heel and headed back to the house.  Unexpectedly his father turned around and squinted, as if thinking about some deep thought.  He chuckled.  "Although after all that time you spent with her during the school year, I think I might take that back."  His father grinned like the Cheshire cat.  "By the way, are you expecting Caitlin this afternoon?" he asked casually, as he walked into the house and slid the patio door behind him.

Eric turned around and saw Caitlin riding with Bandit into their yard.  He tipped his hat back and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his gloved hand.   "Hey," Eric called, waving to the approaching rider.  The sun was setting and it shone brightly into his eyes as he waited for Caitlin to dismount.  He raised his arm to shield his eyes from the rays of the sun.  As she slid off of Bandit, Eric tried to forget what his father had just said to him.  _He wasn't hanging around Caitlin so he could ask her out_.

"Hey," Caitlin smiled as she led Bandit to the fence and wrapped her reins around the wooden frame.  Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a navy blue t-shirt.

"Uh, so do you want to head out?" Eric asked, trying to regain his composure.

Caitlin frowned curiously.  "Are you all right?" she asked.

Eric looked over his shoulder back to the house.  "Uh yeah!" he exclaimed.  "Why wouldn't I be?"

Caitlin shrugged.  "I don't know.  You seem a little distracted," Caitlin said conspicuously.

Eric walked over to Jasper and patted him on the neck.  "No, I'm good," Eric lied.  He kept his eyes on Jasper, avoiding Caitlin's scrutinizing gaze.  "Let's get going.  We can probably get to Hunt's Hill before the sun sets."  Eric swung his right leg over the saddle and nudged Jasper back with his heels.

Caitlin looked up at Eric briefly and then nodded.  "Sure."  Eric waited patiently as Caitlin unwrapped the reins and mounted Bandit.  "Do you want to race?" Caitlin grinned mischievously.

Eric narrowed his eyes and smiled.  "Ok-ay," he drawled, tightening his grip on the reins.   Eric gave Jasper a swift kick as he yelled behind him, "Go!"

***

They sat still on their horses as they were grazing on the sweet green grass.  Caitlin loved it up on this hill.  She could see the Rockies from here.  As she looked over at Eric, he was immersed in thought.  Caitlin suspected he had something on his mind that he was too stubborn to talk with her about.  She furrowed her brow and bit her lip.  _A reflective Eric was a quiet Eric._

Caitlin slid off Bandit and let the reins drop from her hand.  "What are you thinking about?" Caitlin asked quietly.

Eric seemed startled by her voice, and surprised to see that Caitlin had dismounted from Bandit.  "Uh, nothing.  Just thinking."

Caitlin slowly strolled over to the peak of the hill and found a nice plush spot to sit down.  "It just seems like you're contemplating something complex, like how to save the world or something," Caitlin explained softly.  

She heard the soft rustle of the grass brushing up against Eric's legs.  He sighed and sat down beside her.  "It's just that…well, it's our last summer here," Eric explained.  "And then we'll probably end up never seeing each other again."

Caitlin threw her head back and chuckled.  "Are you kidding me?" she frowned, turning and nudging Eric with her shoulder.  "I plan on coming home for the summer, for your information."

Eric shrugged.  "Yeah, you say that now.  And I'll admit, I'll even say that now, but you never know…" His voice trailed off.  Once again he was deep in thought.  Caitlin rolled her eyes, grabbed a handful of grass and scattered it on top of his head.

Eric grimaced and fell backward.  "What are you doing?" he exclaimed, brushing the prickly green confetti Caitlin threw at him.

Caitlin stuck her tongue out at him.  "You're being to serious again!" she declared.  "Lighten up!  It's summer and we're sitting on a hill with a great view of the mountains…"  Eric studied her for a moment, which made Caitlin uncomfortable.  "What?" she cried standoffishly.

A grin appeared on his face and suddenly a spray of green flew in front of her face.  Eric got up and stood over her, pointing his finger down at her.  "That's what you get for not liking my _serious_ side," Eric joked.

Caitlin held up her hands in surrender.  She looked down at her t-shirt, which was covered with grass.  Some of which had fallen into her shirt.  As she stood up, she gently flicked the clumps of grass that clung to her jeans and t-shirt.  "What, did you steal from a lawn mower?"  Eric must have had at least a few handfuls of grass in his hand, compared to her one.  He always did feel the need to show her up.

"I like to think big!" Eric winked.

Caitlin rolled her eyes -- same old Eric.  As she followed him down to the little stream that ran only a few feet from them, Caitlin couldn't help but glance over at Eric's serious face.  "Can I ask you something?" Caitlin said quietly as she bent down and pulled a long blade of grass out of the ground.

Eric looked over at her and shrugged.  "Sure, what is it?"

Caitlin swallowed hard.  Should she even ask him?  Just before she left the house, Caitlin decided she was tired of feeling awkward and unsure of herself when she was around Eric, especially in the feelings department.  There were times she spent with Eric when it felt like they could have been dating.  He would say something sweet to her or compliment her in a deeper meaningful way than a friend would.

She had been thinking about this since their kiss on the mountain.  That kiss hadn't been a 'sudden impulse' it had been more deliberate.  And though Eric thought she had put it behind her and forgotten it, Caitlin hadn't been able to.  However, she hadn't been able to find the right time to bring it up.  It and his feelings for her had been a subject long in coming, but due to their work schedules, Caitlin hadn't had time to talk to him about it.  That and she would chicken out at the last minute.

But now Caitlin had the time and the opportunity to ask him a question that neither one of them were brave enough to ask.  "What am I to you?"


	35. 35

**Spoilers**:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

**Disclaimer**:  Wow Chapter 35 and I still own none of these wonderful characters.  I really have to speak to Nickelodeon about that.  But not to worry I am not claiming any of them….just yet! :oP

**Pairings**:  Caitlin and Eric….eventually

** I just want to say thanks to ShadowGoddess, Miss Chievous, Katelin, sommer, BananaBelle, and Christine.  This chapter is dedicated to you! ;o) **

Chapter Thirty Five 

Eric averted his gaze from Caitlin's scrutinizing eyes.  "Uh," he laughed nervously, "what do you mean?"

"I just want to know what I mean to you?" Caitlin sighed, frustratingly.

This was an unexpected question.  How was he supposed to deal with it?  Eric began kicking a few invisible blades of grass.  "You're my friend," Eric said slowly.  He wasn't sure where this conversation had gone awry.  They were having a nice time and then _bam_.  'What am I to you?'  Eric shook his head in confusion.  Where had this conversation gone wrong?

"Just a friend?" Caitlin drawled, as if expecting something more to be said.

Eric looked up at her.  "What else is there?"  He was playing it dumb, always the best option.  It had gotten him out of many an uncomfortable jam.

Caitlin's eyes seemed to cloud over, and darken from their usual bright fiery gleam.  She bit her lip and folded her arms across her chest.  "You never ever thought of anything more?" she asked, scuffing her riding boots in the dry dusty dirt.

Eric furrowed his brow.  He was confused.  Did she want something more?  A lump developed in his throat, and his heart began to race.  All of the sudden his palms became sweaty and he could hear the blood rushing in his ears.  "Why have you?" he asked, deflecting the question.

Caitlin didn't look up.  There was an awkward silence.  Eric's mind raced with a million thoughts.  Should he change the subject?  Should he answer the question?  Should he tell her how much he liked her, but doubted the realism in dating when they were leaving High River in a couple of months?  All these questions filled his mind, but Eric found himself asking aloud, "Are we crazy?"

Caitlin had looked up at his untimely question.  "What?"

Eric swallowed the lump in his throat and laughed uneasily.  "Are we crazy to think that we would make a good couple?" he asked.  "I mean we would kill each other!"

Caitlin seemed taken aback at his response.  A disappointed look crossed her face before she began to slowly nod.  "Yeah," she agreed.  "You're right.  I don't know why I thought about it."  Caitlin laughed half-heartedly.  "It was stupid."

Eric felt guilty.  He had made Caitlin feel humiliated, asking a question that he had thought about so many times before.  "No," he protested.  "I think it's a question that needed to get out in the open."  Eric walked over to her.  "We've kissed a couple of times and it would be stupid if you and I didn't think about it," he said softly.  He was only a few inches away, and could see into her dark brown eyes.  "I've totally thought about it."

Caitlin looked up into his eyes and arched one eyebrow.  "Are you just trying to make me feel like less of a dork for asking?" she said dryly.

Eric shook his head.  "No."  And being so close to her, Eric thought he must have let his emotions take over and he said in all honesty, "I have totally thought about you in that way."

***

Caitlin didn't know what to think.  At first she thought he was just embarrassed, and he didn't want to admit that he wanted to be with her.  But now, it seemed like Eric truly believed it would be better if they never became something more.  His admission that he had thought about asking her out didn't soothe the churning feeling in her stomach.  "Really?" she asked doubtfully.

Eric nodded.  "Totally honest?" he said nervously.

Caitlin nodded.  She wanted the honest truth.  No matter if it hurt or not.

Eric looked hesitantly at Caitlin before taking a deep breath before explaining his thoughts.  "I don't think I've stopped thinking about you since we came to some sort of 'understanding' before I left for Colorado.  I missed talking with you and well, _fighting_ with you."  He laughed at the thought, and Caitlin joined him.

"Yeah, I missed our 'fights' too."

"Well," Eric sighed, sticking his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.  "When I came back you were dating Will."  He paused, grabbing a blade of grass to chew on.  "You know I couldn't stand him before I left?"  Caitlin nodded.  "Well I hated him even more when I came back."

"I didn't get why you were even dating the guy."  He rolled his eyes and smirked.  "I still don't."

Caitlin felt the blood rush to her face, and her heart skipped a beat as Eric admitted his jealousy over Will.  "He was nice…" she laughed.  "Until you came back and kissed me."  Eric licked his lips and ran his fingers through his tousled blonde hair.  She loved his curly locks, especially when it was long and shaggy and in need of a trim.  It shone is the light of the setting sun.

"Well, yeah," he stammered.  "That's your opinion.  I always thought he had a swelled head."

Caitlin rolled his eyes.  They weren't going to see eye to eye on the subject.  She knew Will had a different side to him, or else she wouldn't have liked him.  "Keep going…not about Will," she teased.  "About why you came to your 'conclusion'."  She stared at him intently, waiting for some kind of revelation.

"While I think you're amazing," Eric admitted, his face flushed.  "I came to the conclusion that it just 'wouldn't work.'"

Caitlin raised her eyebrows in disbelief.  "That's all you came up with?  'It just wouldn't work'?"  She was waiting for some admission of fear or maybe that he wasn't compatible with her or that he didn't think of her in that way.  All of which she had a specific reply.  She would roll her eyes and tell him that he was stupid.  But this, this she wasn't expecting.  It wasn't even an excuse.  All of the sudden Caitlin burst out laughing.

Eric frowned. "What?" he exclaimed.  "What's so darn funny?"

Caitlin wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head.  "That was the lamest excuse I've heard in my life," she stated, laughing in between gasps of breath.  "I was expecting some elaborate speech, but then you came up with that doozy."

Eric narrowed his eyes.  "It's the truth," he declared grumpily.  "It wouldn't work."

Caitlin finally managed to catch her breath and walked over to Eric.  "Why not?" She was tired of this dance.  They would either decide to remain friends and that was the end of that - no more stolen kisses or uncertain feelings – or there would be the start of something neither of them had expected.

"Haven't I told you that long distance relationships never work?" Eric answered, flustered.

Caitlin nodded.  "But that doesn't have to be us," she protested.  "We could be that one out of a hundred couples that don't break up because of the long distance thing."

Eric stared at her skeptically.  "Are you kidding me?" he asked incredulously.  "I'll probably end up with some long detached letter from the big city that explains how we've grown apart and that it just 'isn't working', and that you found some artsy fartsy guy you like better."

Caitlin moved in a little closer, entwining her hands in his.  "Or, maybe I'll write you some sweet letter telling you how much I miss you and wish that you were with me?" she said huskily.  Eric seemed to search her eyes for some kind of hint of hesitation.  There wasn't any.  Caitlin liked Eric, more than any guy she had known.  She could really picture him in her life for the rest of her life.  

Of course she wasn't _in love_ with the guy, but she didn't think that there were any hidden surprises that would make her hate him, or at least, none that she didn't know about.  Caitlin felt her heart racing and it felt like it would jump out her chest.  "When did you become such a pessimist?" she teased.

Eric shrugged.  "I don't know," he laughed, his eyes not leaving hers.  "So you would really write me 'love' letters like that, huh?"  The corners of his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

Caitlin rolled her eyes.  "I don't know," she chuckled.  "Depends if I _really_ liked you or not."  It felt so weird to talk like they were already dating.  They'd never openly flirted with one another like this before.  She felt his hands, which remained entwined with hers, draw her closer to his body.  It felt so deliberate and unusual, but nice.

Eric leaned forward and his lips lightly grazed hers.  Caitlin pulled away slightly, somewhat scared all of the sudden.  Eric squeezed her hand gently, holding her so she couldn't run away.  When she felt the warm breath on her lips, her heart was pounding and she lost all consciousness of where she was.  Caitlin closed her eyes and leaned forward and pressed her lips tentatively against his.

This was something more than just an unknown kiss, without any meaning behind it.  They had both come into this kiss thinking something more.  And now Caitlin understood what it meant to be really afraid.  If this went deeper than just a sweet kiss, and she allowed herself to fall for him, something that wasn't hard to do, Caitlin was vulnerable to the heartache of Eric's pessimistic reality.  But instead of her breaking his heart, it could be Eric breaking hers.

*********

**Sorry it's so short, but I thought you guys would forgive me, even so. ;o)  I hope you guys like it.  They finally seem to be getting somewhere, eh?**


	36. 36

**Spoilers**:  After cattle incident and snippets of future episodes

**Disclaimer**:  blah blah blah…not owning them, but Nickoldeon does….yadda yadda.

**Pairings**:  Caitlin and Eric

** I just want to say thanks to ShadowGoddess, Miss Chievous, Katelin, sommer, BananaBelle, and Christine.  This chapter is dedicated to you! ;o) **

Chapter Thirty Six 

They had been dating for less than two weeks and it had been the most comfortable and easy time of her life.  Granted she had never really dated anyone else other than Will, but being with Eric didn't seem like she was 'dating' someone.  Nothing had really changed in their relationship with the exception of the sweet kisses he would give her, or the handholding.

The family had bugged them mercilessly when they found out.  Apparently they knew that Eric and she would eventually date.  This was all new to her; the Lowes had been apprehensive when she started dating Will, but none of this seemed to apply to Eric.  It scared her and made her uncomfortable.

Her feelings had already begun to run deep for the sarcastic and mischievous blonde.  Caitlin had never experienced the gambit of emotions that came with falling in love.  Fear, excitement, exhilaration, anticipation, joy, and many other nameless emotions welled up within her when she saw him.  

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach whenever he smiled at her with those clear blue eyes.  And whenever he kissed her a warmth would fill her body; it was intense and grew stronger every time Eric pulled her close.

"Caitlin!" Griffin voice cracked as he belted out her name.  His voice still hadn't quite changed yet, even at the ripe age of 17.

Caitlin stiffened, and pulled herself out of her thoughtful reverie.  "Yeah, what?" she answered loudly.

Griffin jogged in huffing and puffing, as if he had just run a marathon.  He smirked and his eyebrow arched in a familiar knowing look.  "I have some good news," he squealed.

Caitlin leaned back against the smooth, leather swivel chair.  The almost inaudible hum of her work laptop distracted her slightly.  She tore her eyes from the blue screen and frowned at Griffin.  _How many times had she heard that before_?

"What's the good news?" she asked, a trace of skepticism laced her words.

"You know the movie that is being shot here?"

Caitlin nodded casually and gestured for him to go on.  She was actually getting tired of the buzz surrounding the movie and its actors.  They walked around town like they owned the place, and suddenly, Caitlin found it hard to find anyone who could talk about anything else.  "Yeah," she said.

Griffin's eyes gleamed keenly.  "I got us parts in the movie!" he exclaimed, buffing his nails on his t-shirt, as if silently patting himself on the back.

"What do you mean 'us'?" she asked warily.

"I was in the board shop scoping out some new clothes that they just got when director of the movie walks in.  He was buying some souvenirs for his kids at home and I walked up to him and introduced myself," Griffin explained.  "I told him that I was looking forward to this movie and would definitely be going to the theatres to see it."  He grinned widely.  He was always good at sucking up to those he wanted something from.  

Caitlin laughed and rolled her eyes.  She was sure he would definitely see through his façade.  "And just like that he promised you a part in the movie?"

Griffin shook his head and held up his hands.  "Just listen," he commanded.  "I was doing some schmoozing about the movie business when his phone rang."  Griffin looked at her like she should never have doubted him.

"Apparently a few of the extras walked into a bad batch of poison ivy and they needed some new extras desperately!"

"And you expect me to be in the movie?" Caitlin groaned.  She was much better behind the camera than in front of it.  "Uh-uh."  She got up from the swivel chair and walked out of the office area.

"Aw, come on Caitlin!" he whined, as he followed her into the kitchen. "Even _Eric_ got his dad to give him time off to be on the set!"

Caitlin knew he mentioned Eric just so she would change her mind.  "Why don't you and Eric be the extras then?  Why do you need me to tag along?" she asked, confused.  Grabbing a plate from the cupboard, Caitlin eyed the Double Deluxe Chocolate cake Dori had made yesterday.  As she sliced herself a generous portion of the dessert, she waited for Griffin's answer.

Griffin slumped over onto the island counter.  "Because he needed a girl extra and I told him I knew someone who would love to do it!"

Caitlin pressed her fork into the soft moist chocolate layers and lifted it to her mouth.  Closing her eyes, she savored the wonderful taste of the sweet chocolate frosting.  Chocolate definitely was her most favorite thing, besides photography.

"Caitlin!" Griffin sighed exasperatedly.  "Are you going to do it?"

She rested the fork on her plate and studied Griffin with a sour expression.  "You really need me?" Caitlin groaned.

Griffin straightened up and put on his poor puppy-dog face and smiled sadly.  "Yes!"

Folding her arms across her chest, she contemplated the idea.  Most of her week was filled with appointments and running around interviewing people.  She hardly had any time to spend with Eric, although he was over almost every night of the week; whether it was to see her or Griffin was another thing.  Caitlin had no motivation to do it, but as she was about to tell him no, Griffin stuck out his lip and began to whimper.  She sighed.  "If Jason says I can, then I will do it."

Griffin's pout curled into a huge grin.  "Great!" he yelled, pumping his fist in the air.  "I'm going to be in a movie!"

Caitlin watched Griffin bound up the stairs excitedly.  She smiled as she lifted another bite of the chocolate cake to her lips.  _At least she would get to spend sometime with Eric_.

***

"Hey you," a woman's voice chuckled from behind, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Eric smiled happily as he turned around to greet his visitor.  Caitlin.  As he leaned forward to kiss her, once again, Eric silently thought how amazing the past couple of weeks had been.  _How did this all happen?  How could he be this lucky_?

But all those thoughts and questions fell away as his lips pressed lightly against hers.

When they pulled apart, coming up for air, Eric felt as if he had lost something.  Having in his arms was like a dream.  Eric never thought it would become reality.  After convincing himself that being with Caitlin wasn't an option, she made him forget all of the very reasons he had told himself would lead to heartache with a kiss.

He often fondly remembered that day when she made him realize that he could no longer fight his feelings for this girl, now woman.  "Hey there yourself," he replied huskily, planting another quick kiss on her flushed lips.

Her eyes twinkled as she blushed.  It happened frequently – her blushing.  It made him grin to think that he had that effect on her.  "What?" she frowned concernedly; though it didn't diminish the sparkle in her eyes.

"Nothing," he protested, trying not to smile.  "You're just…" he searched for the right word, "_chipper…_today."

"Take that back," she gasped, as her finger poked him in the side.

The simple motion made him jump and pull away from her.  He glared and pointed his index finger at her.  "Hey, you don't want to that!" Eric warned, half playful, half serious.

Caitlin's brows raised mischievously.  "And if I _don't_?" she asked slyly, approaching him stealthily.

"You…" He frowned.  He didn't know what he would do.  Just then, when he looked up, Caitlin had closed the gap he had placed between them, and was reaching out to continue her slow torture.  He tried to pull out of her grasp, but found himself overwhelmed.  He was at a disadvantage from the start.  When he looked up, she startled him and he was put off balance.  Seeing her opportunity, Caitlin pushed him over and he fell back into the pile of straw he was transferring into a wheelbarrow.  She straddled him at the waist and began to tickle him mercilessly.

Eric was ticklish and he didn't let many people realize that, but one night Caitlin had discovered his secret.  And ever since, it had been a weapon in her 'evil plot' to torture him at every turn.  As he squirmed from her slender fingers, Eric found himself gasping for breath.  "Stop," he cried out laughing.

Caitlin paused a moment to ponder his plea, and Eric took this opportunity to grasp her wrists and flip her over, so that he was now the one on top.  "Hey," she protested, trying to wriggle her wrists from his gentle but firm grasp.

"Don't like it do you?" Eric laughed evilly, as he began to reach for her sides and tickle her.  

He continued the laughable torture for a few minutes, before he allowed the feisty auburn to breath.  Tears streamed from her face as her body relaxed at the halt of his fingers.  Her face was flushed as she gasped for air, and her hair filled with straw.  She looked up at him with a rueful smile, which made him smirk.  "Sucks when you're the on the receiving end, huh?"

She stuck her tongue out at him.  "But it's not fair when you do it," Caitlin pouted.  "You're bigger than me!"

Eric rolled his eyes.  "Yeah, sure," he feigned sympathy, pretending to play the violin."

Caitlin hit him lightly on the chest.  "Jerk," she frowned, though the twinkle in her eye suggested she thought otherwise.

"Do you really think that," Eric whispered, as he leaned down, taking her hands in his.  Entwining their fingers, he slid down, until he lay on top of her, with their hands above their heads.

Caitlin's lashes hid her thoughts on the matter as she squirmed underneath him.  "Maybe," she said breathily.

Eric felt his chest tighten at the knowledge of being so close to her.  Their bodies never had gotten this close in proximity, when they were not standing up.  He just wanted to wrap her up in his arms and stay their forever.  He didn't respond to her attempt to tease him.

Lowering his head, his lips grazed lightly against hers.  Eric heard her breath catch in her throat as he captured her lips with his.  He let the full weight of his body press against her as he deepened the kiss.

"Eric!" his father's voice bellowed distantly.  

He felt Caitlin pull away, startled by his father's voice.  Eric acknowledged his father's voice, but began to place soft kisses on the nape of her neck, throat, and lips.  He pulled her focus back to them, placing one last kiss on her lips.  Deep and passionate; Eric wanted Caitlin to understand how much he wanted and needed her.

"Eric!" his father called once more.

This time, Caitlin braced her hands against his chest, pushing up slightly; enough to break the lock between their lips.  "Eric," she said out of breath.

Eric swallowed and looked down at her.  "Yes," he said coyly, pressing his lips against hers again.

Caitlin pushed against him a little harder this time, and on an angle, until he fell onto his side.  "Your dad is calling you," she replied, biting her bottom lip, which was swollen from his kiss.

Lying on his back, Eric closed his eyes and groaned.  After taking a deep breath, he pulled himself up and looked at Caitlin who was kneeling beside him, pulling out the pieces of straw in her hair.  "I have to get back to work," Eric sighed.

Caitlin nodded, not meeting his gaze.  "Yeah," she said, hesitantly.  "I should probably get home."

He watched her roll the thin golden rods between her fingers.  Suddenly Eric felt a wash of guilty overwhelm him.  Had he pushed her to far?  Eric closed his eyes and silently chided himself for pushing himself on her.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw Caitlin push herself to her feet.  Quickly Eric stood and grabbed her arm.  "Are you okay?"

Finally Caitlin looked up at him and smiled briefly.  "Yeah," she mumbled, trying to sound casual.  "I'm fine."

Eric took a deep breath, grasping each hand in his.  Pulling her close, he gazed steadily into her eyes.  "Don't lie to me okay," he whispered awkwardly.  "If I went to far, I want to know."  Caitlin was quiet for a moment, dropping her eyes from his.  Eric thought it felt like eternity.

"No," she said, lifting her eyes to meet his again.

Eric felt his heart skip a beat.  "Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly.  "Really?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes and pushed against him lightly.  "Like I wouldn't tell you if it wasn't okay?" she scoffed, winking at him.

Eric saw the old spark return to her eyes and smiled.  She wasn't lying to him.  He leaned his forehead against hers.  "Good."

"Eric!" his father's voice growled.  This time it was louder, closer and angrier.  "There you are!  I've been calling for you."

Eric turned around and faced his father who looked at him irritably.  "Dad!" he exclaimed.  "I didn't even hear you!"

His father rolled his eyes skeptically and shook his head.  His eyes glanced over behind Eric's back.  "Caitlin," his father greeted.

Caitlin who had been standing behind him nodded.  "Mr. Anderson."

Eric pulled her close.  "I was just finishing moving the straw into the barn," he blurted out.

His father folded his arms across his chest and sighed.  "You've got one minute to say goodbye to Caitlin and then meet me in the pasture."

Eric nodded and waited until his father was several feet away before turning around to apologize to Caitlin.  He sighed and smiled tiredly.  "You heard the Boss.  I gotta get going."

Caitlin nodded.  "Yeah.  Me too," she smiled.

Eric frowned.  "Was there a reason you came over in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Do I need a reason to drop by, other than to say hello to you?" Caitlin exclaimed, pretending to be offended. 

Eric rolled his eyes, squeezing her hand.  "No-oo," he drawled.  "But you don't usually come hear during the middle of the afternoon."

Caitlin nodded; pulling her hands out of his, and ran her fingers through her hair.  "Are you actually doing this movie extra thing, Griffin set up?"

At the mention of the extras' job, Eric lit up.  "Oh yeah!  I completely forgot about that!"

"So you're doing it?" she frowned.

"Yeah, aren't you?" He thought it would be fun to be in a movie.  

Eric wasn't big on celebrities with the exception of actually being one himself.  He was very stoked about the job.  Of course Eric had a lot of convincing to do when it came to his father, but once he mentioned how much he would be making and how it would go to school expenses, there wasn't a way he could have said no to Eric.

Caitlin shrugged.  "If I can get the time off," she replied.  "But if I can maybe sell it to Jason as a piece for the paper, he might let me do it."

Eric grinned.  "Of course you can."  Caitlin could be very persuasive if she wanted to be.  "Besides, you would be great in the movies!" he chuckled.

Caitlin sighed and shrugged.  "We'll see," she laughed.

Then silence fell between them.  Part of Eric was still a little tense over the situation that had just occurred.  "Are we really okay?"

Caitlin drew close to him and nodded.  "Yeah," she said softly.  "I just think we need to get used to this whole dating thing.  Don't you?"

Eric looked into her dark brown eyes.  His heart was beating fast just staring into beautiful eyes.  He swallowed.  _Of course there would be moments of awkwardness, right? They had just started dating._

Eric smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips.  "Yeah…sure."  His voice waffled.  He hated the fact that this was all new territory.  There were all of these uncertainties when it came to Caitlin.  And he hated how it made him feel.

"Good," Caitlin grinned, making him turn his focus back on her.

But when Eric looked at her, all of those feelings fled.  And if he was honest with himself, the fear and the dread he felt was because he was slowly realizing that he was falling head over heels in love with the woman.


	37. 37

 SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1**Spoilers_:  _**After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes

**Disclaimer:  blahhhhhhhhhhhhhh...no I don't own them.  Yes, darn Nikolodeon does...that's why they are not on the air anymore *sigh***

**Pairings:  Caitlin and Eric**

**Summary:  Eric has arrived back in town and put a wrench in Caitlin and Will's relationship.  Caitlin and Eric find themselves drawn to each other and having to deal with the emotions that were left unresolved when he moved away.  They must deal with the future and whether they will remain in each other's lives, or will college and other things get in the way?**

**Author's notes:  Hi guys.  I don't know if you guys are still reading this, but hey :D  Yup it's me...I am still alive and yes...wow, I've managed to pick up this fanfic again.  Must have been the nog, for I found myself suddenly all fuzzy and thinking of Caitlin and Eric again.  I know you guys have been extremely patient, wondering if 36 was the last chapter.  Happily I can tell you that I will hopefully be picking up this fanfic again.  And hopefully it will not be almost a year before I pull out another chapter! :D**

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

"Do you really want to think about school now?"  Eric looked at Caitin uncertainly, as he debated his reply to her question.  "No," he sighed.

They were on the set of the movie and waiting for the lighting to set up for the next scene.  Caitlin looked amazing in the black mid-thigh pleated skirt with matching black tank top.  It was definitely something she would never choose to wear - he wished.

"Why the sudden interest about what we're going to do during the school year?" Caitlin frowned.  "I thought we were going to take it slow?"

Eric glanced over his shoulder at Sean Kevin, the male lead of the movie, who was a couple of feet away, talking and gesturing wildly with members of the cast.  Caitlin had a few lines in the movie, speaking to Sean, nothing important, but he had seemed to take an interest in her after that.  It was nothing serious; she hadn't encouraged him, but watching them interact, it made him think about when he when he _wasn't_ going to be around to remind her that she was with someone.  Eric glanced up at the bright eyed girl..._woman before him.  "Never mind," he dismissed casually._

Caitlin looked at him like she didn't believe him.

With a stroke of luck though, Eric heard the director call the extras to the set.  "We'd better head back," he motioned toward the set located in their school gym, "to the set."

Caitlin's brow furrowed in confusion as they walked towards the stage.  He knew she had wanted him to answer her question, but he knew he wasn't ready to tell her that the thought of her leaving made his stomach churn.  That was just too...girly.

***

_What was going on with Eric?_

Caitlin threw her coat onto the floor and fell exhausted onto her bed.  It was 8 p.m. and they had _just finished shooting for the day.  She had no idea how strenuous being an extra would be; and she still had to jot down her thoughts of the day that evening._

Jason had decided they'd do a diary series in the paper, a month leading up to the opening of the film in the theatres.  He had relegated her to a few photo ops for other reporters' articles, but nothing else, since she really had no time to write any other articles.  The only duty she had left was, during her time off while working on the set, she had to capture some candid behind-the-scenes photos of the cast and crew.  Jason had okay'd it with the director, as long as it wasn't before the film's press release date.

Caitlin groaned as she stared warily at the bright purple notebook sitting on her nightstand.  Most nights she didn't have a clue what she was writing in the journal-type book; she didn't even know if she had a train of thought when jotting down her thoughts and feelings about the day.  It was going to be difficult to write her articles if she didn't have a clue what she wrote.  She closed her eyes; she would worry about that later.\

"Caitlin, you've still got chores to finish up; and Bandit needs to stretch his legs.  You haven't ridden him for almost a week!"  Dori's familiar voice bellowed through her bedroom door.  

At least she had learned _not_ to barge in and get in her face with her friendly, but nagging reminders.

"Yeah," she groaned, pulling her pillow over head.

Graduating, finding a job, and being responsible was not exactly all that it had cracked up to be.

_One more week...one more week and her hectic schedule would be over, and she could go back to her normal life._

~ * ~

"Segway!" the director barked.  "Come over here."

Caitlin furrowed her brow at the command.  _Was he talking to her?  The middle-aged director, who was always running here and there, trying to get the right shot, the right angle, waved his arms irritably at her.  "Uh, me?"  She heard her voice stammer._

The director rolled his eyes and shook his head in disgust.  "Yes you!"

Caitlin glanced at Griffin and Eric, who shrugged in bewilderment; they didn't seem to have a clue what was going on either.  She slowly made her way over to the director's chair, where Sean and Tate also stood.  "Uh yeah?" she said coolly, trying to hide her embarrassment from the cast and crew, who were watching intently.

_What did she do?  Had she accidentally offended one of the 'stars' of the movie?  Caitlin ran through the list of possible things she could have done to warrant the impending conversation._

"Sean and Tate here, were telling me that you ride?"  His tone was tired and non-plusse.

Caitlin blinked, unprepared for his question.  She had been sure that she had done something to piss him off.  That was her life story.  "Um, yeah.  I ride."

"Well?"  His stern, scrutinizing gaze looked her up and down, as if something was depending on how she answered his question.

"Preety good; but I've ever only ridden on my horse Bandit."

"See!"  Sean beamed at the director.  "I told you there was no problem."  He turned his attention to her.  "We lost Jen, our stunt rider for Tate; so I recommended you!"

Caitlin was speechless.   _Stunt rider?  Her?  "Oh no!" she began to raise her hands in protest.  "I've never done any stunts on a horse before!"  Caitlin frowned as she tried to recall when she had opened her big fat mouth to Sean about being able to ride._

The director smiled, slightly amused; it caught her off-guard, since the only look she had ever seen on his face was the hard, constipated expression she received everytime she was on set.  "Caitlin, right?" he asked, though he did not wait for her reply.  "All we need you to do is ride across some flat fields and down some hills.  Jen took care of the major 'stunts',' he made quotations with his fingers.  "Her list of stunts this week is easy.  We just need a little more footage of our 'girl' riding."

Caitlin bit her bottom lip, as she mulled over the offer.  

"You will get paid the same wage Jen was contracted for, and maybe a little more since this is so short notice."

Caitlin knew she could use the money to add to her college fund; in fact she didn't know why she was hesitating.  "Will it be extra hours, or will it be combined with my 'extra' time?"

The director seemed to hedge a little before answering her question.  "Since you have a slightly _larger role than a regular extra and we don't have the time to reshoot with another actor, this job will be on top of your regular hours," he explained calmly, trying to hide his obvious hope that she would take the part._

Caitlin groaned.  She knew there had to be a catch.

"Aw please," Tate begged.  "We're pretty much on schedule except for this snafu with Jenny.  Production will stall if we have to wait for another union stunt rider to be brought in."  Tate's dark blue eyes, which usually stared longingly into her leading man's eyes, were wide-eyed and silently pleading for her to agree.  "Besides, you're just baout my height and size!  How perfect is that?"

Caitlin felt numerous pairs of eyes staring at her, with bated breath.  "I don't know," she hedged.  Catilin glanced over at Eric and Griffin, who had drawn closer to the private conversation, and were now looking away, pretending that they hadn't been trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

She knew what Griffin's opinion would be.  He would most likely jump down her throat if she refused the opportunity to add another experience on her resume; on top of the fact that it was probably amazing money.  Eric, on the other hand, was a different story.  She had less and less time to spend with him since they had started working on the movie.  Unfortunately they had been separated into different groups, and they hardly saw each other on set except when there was a need for large crowds.  Taking this extra job would take more time still...

But there was this nagging voice in her head that called for her to be practical about this - strangely it sounded like Dori - reminding her that New York was only a month away and she needed all the money she could make.  Caitlin closed her eyes and groaned.  "I'll do it."

***

It was already happening.  First, she was taking extra jobs to save up money for _school_; the next thing he would hear from her would be that she was too busy at school to talk or write or email.  Eric groaned.  He wished he could stop dwelling on it for two seconds.  Caitlin was still in High River - they wouldn't be leaving for another month; she cared about him; and she had no plans of breaking up with him.  It was him that kept bringing it up.

Sometimes he could be such a loser.

"Don't freak out man!"  He stared at his tired reflection in the bathroom mirro, which he had been occupying since he had got home from the set.

"Eric, Caitlin's here!" his mother called.

_All right dude, you've got to get a grip.  Eric leaned against the cream-colored sink and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.  _Everything was fine_._

***

"Hi!"  Caitlin leaned forward and pressed her lips against his in a brief kiss.

"Hi!" he said overexcitedly.  He tried to keep his body relaxed and the atmosphere energetic.

Caitlin furrowed her brow, studying her boyfriend closely.  He was acting strange - strange even for Eric.  She had felt it when she had told him about the stunt job earlier that day; he wasn't happy with her.

"Can we talk?"  She clasped his hand in hers and led him outside; the sun had set hours ago and the rays of the full moon now streamed down upon them, as they stood on the wooden proch.

"So what's up?" Eric chirped anxiously.

Caitlin lowered her eyes and leaned against the railing; his hand still clasped in hers, as they hung loosely between her legs.  He stood, his shoulders slouched, waiting for her answer.

"You have to tell me what's bothering you," she blurted out, even though she had a good idea.  "It's driving me up the wall, trying to figure out what's going on!"

_There she'd said it._

Eric gazed at the girl he had slowly fallen in love with over the past two years, as the silver halo of the pale moon shimmered against her fiery red hair.  She had asked him a straightforward question, but he didn't know why he was having a hard time answering it.  He could say it in his head without trouble.

_He was afraid of losing her.  He was in love with her._

"I...I just _miss you," he stammered, closing his eyes and kicking himself for coping out._

Caitlin tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she reached out and tugged at his loose shirt, so that he would move in closer to her.  He did.  As she stared up at him, she could smell the familiar scent she had become accustomed to when Eric was near.  He smelled like a mixture of soap and musk.  Caitlin closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, and deeply.  She loved that smell.  "I miss you too," she sighed, as she slowly opened her eyes to gaze up into his shadowed face; his blue eyes shining in stark contrast to the dark of the night.

He gently brushed another stray lock of hair from her eyes - she looked so serene, so calm and composed.  Caitlin had no idea what she did to him.  Everytime she drew close to him, touched him, sent a jolt of energy through his body.  But it wasn't just chemistry between them; he loved talking with her, going for rides on their horses just before dusk, and just _being with her like 'this'.  Eric ran his fingers through her hair, allowing them to linger, as they massaged the nape of her neck._

Caitlin let the warmth of his fingers, which slowly entered her body, wash over her - starting at the base of her neck and down her back.  She sighed contentedly.  No one could make her body relax with such a small motion as rubbing small circles at the base of her neck.  "If you keep this up, I don't think I will have any strength to go home tonight," she groaned, opening her eyes tiredly.

"That's a plan."

She looked up at him and grinned, hitting him lightly in the chest.  "I'm sure," she scoffed.  Caitlin let her head fall back, trying to get rid of the kink in her neck.  "I've got a 6 a.m. start tomorrow."  She let out a mournful cry.  "Tell my why the heck I'm doing this again?"

"School," Eric replied solemnly.

Caitlin lifted her head up and saw his attempt to remain calm and composed.  "You have to _stop obsessing about that," she laughed half-heartedly._

"Eric nodded absent-mindedly.  _How many times had he told himself that?  It had gotten to the point, where he wasn't even excited about his own departure for college anymore._

"It's a long time," he said softly.  "To be apart..."

This topic kept coming up and as much as she tried to put it off, pretending it didn't matter, she realized it wasn't going to go away.  "So what are you saying?"  Her muscles tensed again, as her heart began to pound against her chest, awaiting his answer.

Eric untangled his fingers from her smooth locks and shrugged.  He didn't have a solution.  "I'm just saying long distance relationships have a reputation of not working."  He hated the statistics, but it was true.  His and Caitlin's chance of staying together was minimal...less than minimal.

Caitlin folded her arms across her chest and bit the inside of her cheek.  She had heard this before, even before they had began dating.  She had hoped he had gotten over it, but evidently not.  "Why are you so pessimistic aobut this?"  Caitlin frowned.  Pushing herself off the railing, she moved in front of Eric.  "It's like you don't want _this,_"_ shegestured to the space between them, "to work out."_

Eric was surprised at her burst of anger.  He hadn't meant it to sound like that.  "Caitlin, I..."

"Why can't we be one of those couples that _make_ it work?"  Her dark brown eyes held an intensity that seemed to dare him to dispute her logic.

"I'm not saying that we _couldn't_ be," he protested.

"Then what _are  you saying?"  Her voice raised a little, due to her heightened emotional state.  Caitlin bit her tongue, reminding herself that the Andersons' were just a wall away._

"I just can't help thinking about the 'Seans' out there," Eric blurted out.  His breath was heavy, as if he had been out running or herding cattle.

"What are you talking about?" Caitlin exclaimed in bewilderment.  "What does Sean have to do with anything?"

Eric shook his head, wishing he hadn't opened his mouth.  "Look, there's lots of 'Seans' out there and I _know," he locked eyes with her, "that he doesn't mean anything to you, but there could be one in New York that could."_

Caitlin pulled away, shaking her head in confusion.  "You're not making any sense."  Her brain tried to make sense of what he trying to say.

"Maybe there's someone you'll have more in common with, who likes to do the things you do," Eric rambled, saying whatever came into his head, not caring anymore.  The floodgates had been opened.  "You could find someone..."

Caitlin wanted to laugh, but thought better of it.  She could tell Eric was finally getting it off of his chest; this was what formed the crease upon his forehead everytime she was with him.  Taking a step towards him, Caitlin grabbed his forearm and interrupted his sudden pacing.  "Eric, stop."

Eric stared at this girl..._woman_, who was talented, beautiful and smart.  _What could she possibly see in him?  As if there wouldn't be hundreds of guys in New York who wouldn't clamor after her.  They would be dark, brooding, and have a knowledge about Picasso, Raphael and stuff like that._

She could see his mind was still creating scenarios in his head; she stopped his physical pacing, but his mind was still running amok.  Caitlin was growing frustrated, and wracked her brain on how to make him stop.

_Then it came to her._

Eric's mind was working overtime when he felt Caitlin's hands grab his t-shirt and pull him against her.  He looked at her, surprised at her aggressive behavior.  "What..."  Before he could finish his sentence, Caitlin had planted her warm moist lips on his.

Closing her eyes, Caitlin's lips parted slightly, breathing deeply, when Eric pulled away instinctively, before moving in and pulling her closer to him.  She lazily draped her arms around his shoulders, as his hands snaked around her waist.  A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips, as Eric forgot all of the 'what ifs' and stood with her in the present.

When they finally had to pull up for air, Caitlin exhaled happily, as she remained in his arms.  She gazed into his warm blue eyes, that looked at her with such peace of mind and joy.  Then he began to trace the line of jaw down the length of her neck with the back of his hand; all the while his eyes never left hers.

"Do you know how much I care about you?" he said, his voice filled with emotion.

Caitlin leaned in close, pressing her body against his, while her lips intimately grazed his ear.  "Do you know how much _I care about __ you?" she murmured softly._

Eric pressed his together and rested his head against her shoulder, as his arms, which held her closely, squeezed gently, as if to tell her that he would never let her go.  _If he could just stop time, right there, right then._

"I don't want to be anywhere else...with anyone else."

Eric stepped back at arms length, studying her face for doubt or fear about the feelings she had just declared for him - there was none.  He cupped her face in his hands and leaned in, drawing her into a soft, pliant kiss.

_Neither do I._

TBC...

I hope :D


	38. 38

****

Spoilers: After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes

****

Disclaimer: *grumblesyesNickoledonownsthemsoIhavenopartinthecreationoranythingelsegrumbles*

****

Pairings: Caitlin and Eric

****

Summary: Eric has arrived back in town and put a wrench in Caitlin and Will's relationship. Caitlin and Eric find themselves drawn to each other and having to deal with the emotions that were left unresolved when he moved away. They must deal with the future and whether they will remain in each other's lives, or will college and other things get in the way?

****

Author's notes: I finally have another chapter...I bet you guys never thought I'd get to it. Did you? Did you? Huh huh huh huh huh?....Okay that's kind of annoying. lol.

Well this chapter is dedicated to all those Caitlin's Way fans that have stuck through this with me for wow, 38 chapters! I am glad I have you to keep pushing me and nagging me and keep me motivated. _ShadowGoddess and Pixie_ I would like to say that you have stuck with me on this fro the beginning and it couldn't be done without you guys. 

****

Chapter Thirty Eight

"So I guess this is goodbye." Eric stared uncomfortably at the rag-tag runners that he'd only had for a year, as he shifted his weight to and for, from side to side. He didn't think he could even look at Caitlin for fear of breaking down, which he obviously couldn't do when everyone was around. "I hope you have a safe trip," he added, lifting his arm up half-heartedly, pointing out and beyond the deserted gravel road and then letting it drop.

"You know this isn't goodbye," Caitlin protested gently. "We're going to talk over the phone, ringing up an insanely large phone bill over the next year." She cleared her throat, trying to rid herself of the lump in her throat that felt like it was choking her. Caitlin knew her eyes were close to tearing up at the thought of not seeing Griffin or Eric for an entire school year. It was a toss-up whether not having them around to drive her crazy or the move itself would, without their antics keeping her distracted.

Eric gazed up at her under hooded lids, not bothering to lift his head up from its bowed position. "Yeah," he said half-heartedly. "Of course." He nodded distractedly.

Caitlin ran her tongue over her teeth absentmindedly, searching for traces of lunch hidden in between the crevices of her teeth; she wanted him to look at her. "Well," she glanced behind her as Dori was tearfully kissing Griffin goodbye and making sure he knew exactly what he should or should not do when away from home, "I'm supposed to get to the airport 2 hours early, so I'd better get going." Slowly hedging away from the unusually silent blonde, Caitlin felt a sense of loss, like she was leaving a part of her and she felt incomplete; she had felt the pangs of that early in the evening of the wrap party a couple of days ago. In fact, it was right at that moment when she realized that Eric had begun his withdrawal from her that night.

"_Wait_," Eric whispered softly, unsure he was capable to form any words at that moment. He quickly reached out and grasped Caitlin's wrist as she had begun to leave. "I…Caitlin…" Silently he cursed himself for being such an inept fool, who couldn't even voice his feelings for Caitlin as she was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, he felt her slender hand press against his cheek and her forehead lean against his. "You know all throughout high school I dreamt of getting out of here and pursuing my dream of being a photographer, but right now, I can't think of another place I want to stay in, more," she chuckled distractedly. Eric felt his heart begin to race, and he closed his eyes and silently agreed with everything she had said. She was always better with words than he was.

"Caitlin, we've got to get going or we'll have to wait in line forever!" Dori's voice cut through the comforting silence that had fallen between them, as if physically pulling them apart.

Eric was the first to lift his head up to see Dori, Jim, Griffin and his parents trying to look inconspicuous as they gazed upon his and Caitlin's goodbye. "You had better get going," he sighed loudly, rubbing the back of his neck, in an attempt to appear undaunted at Caitlin's departure.

"Email me when you get your address and phone number." Caitlin slipped her arm through the crook of Eric's arm, as he slowly escorted her to Dori's truck. "And I'll do the same," she instructed, trying to sound excited.

Eric nodded. "Yeah, all right." Only he'd be in some dorm with hundreds of people milling around and like one payphone in the hallway. As he watched Caitlin grab her backpack which was sitting on the grass beside the truck, Eric felt his chest tighten and his skin heat up, as perspiration began to form on his forehead and palms. Stuffing his hands in his jean pockets, Eric pushed the need to pull Caitlin in his arms and tell her not to go.

Caitlin gave Griffin and Jim a hug, saying an awkward goodbye to Eric's parents, as they wished her well. Both Griffin and Eric would be leaving early in the morning the next day. "Well take care of yourself," Jim lectured. "Don't stay up too late and don't talk to complete strangers."

Caitlin tried to keep a straight face at Jim's thoughtful rules for life in the big city. "Well that would pretty much conclude my year at NYU," she teased, poking her adopted father in the side.

"You know what I mean," he groaned, slipping an arm around her shoulder.

"Well Caitlin shouldn't have a hard time fitting in there if she packed her old clothes." Griffin grinned mischievously at her. "That leather jacket and outstanding hairdo would keep anyone at bay," he said sarcastically.

Caitlin stepped forward, in a threatening gesture, as if she were preparing to slap him silly; Griffin shrunk from the assault, but there was no physical contact. "Shut up," Caitlin ordered. The gleam in Griffin's eye alerted her to the fact that he knew she was not insulted. "And I'm sure all the women will be clamouring over you and your wonderful button up shirts."  


"Ha. Ha." Griffin folded his arms across his chest, feigning dismay.

Caitlin bit the inside of her cheek, once again feeling a welling up of emotions at this light-hearted goodbye. She glanced over at Dori, who was already in the driver's seat. "I better get going." It was weird, she didn't know how to say goodbye to Griff. The words wouldn't form.

"Bye." Griffin quickly slipped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze and backing away just as quickly.

Eric wasn't sure he could hold himself together at this point. He knew that Griffin was having a hard time believing that she was leaving. After years of bemoaning the fact that the defensive and sometimes irritable redhead was a pain in the derriere, Eric could see that Griffin was in denial of his more-than-upset state about her departure. Everyone had said their goodbyes and his parents, Jim and Griffin became distracted by some details of their departure the next day, while he watched Caitlin walk out of his life...for the time being anyway.

Caitlin felt someone pull her backpack off her shoulders and heard a thud as she was spun around by a hand that had grasped her wrist. "Caitlin, wait." Her eyes locked gazes with Eric's. He seemed flustered and upset.

"What?" she whispered, but before she got anything else out, his lips captured hers.

Eric closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers, halting the words that were just forming on her kissable lips. He felt her body tense as he grabbed her, surprised at his impulsive act. Tilting his head slightly, Eric pulled back slightly, lessening the pressure of his kiss and let go of her wrist. Eric slid his left hand around her waist until it rested lightly against the small of her back; with the other hand, he cupped her face, pulling her into the kiss.

Caitlin swallowed hard as she felt his desperate kiss transition into one that was filled with need and desire. Her arms, which hung limply by her side moved of their own accord as she stepped in closer, slipping one arm around his waist and rested the other against his chest, which rose and fell at a rapid pace. She could feel him pull back and as she opened her eyes, quite stunned by the silent gesture, Caitlin stared into the anxious and clouded blue eyes of her former verbal sparring partner.

"_Don't go_," Eric whispered urgently. His plea was unconscious, really just rambling, in an attempt to express the ache that wracked his entirety. "I..."

Caitlin blinked several times, her heart understanding what he was asking of her and even contemplating the possibility of acquiescing; but another part of her questioned whether this truly was what he wanted. "Eric," she breathed, her heart pounding at the idea of what this meant. She paused a moment, searching the deep pools of conflicted emotion and uncertainty. "A-are you...are you serious?"

Eric furrowed his brow, his mind registering what just had happened. He looked up to see Caitlin's expectant face, carrying an amount of fear and anxiety. Swallowing hard, Eric tilted his head and bit his bottom lip, trying to recall what he had just said to her._ Don't go..._

Eric closed his eyes and kicked himself for allowing something like that to slip past his lips. He shook his head and laughed half-heartedly. "No," he replied, taking a step back and letting his arms drop to its side. "I...that...I was just being stupid. _Of course not_." He looked away shame-faced.

Caitlin gazed uncertainly at Eric's sudden change of heart. Part of her was relieved, but somewhere deep down she was secretly excited that he felt so lost without her. But now he was backing away and backtracking on everything. "Right," Caitlin chirped, trying to act casual about the whole thing. "You..._we_ were just caught up in the moment."

Eric felt like a heel for doing that to her; he could see in her eyes that he had hurt her. _Loser_. Staring uncomfortably down at the ground, he picked up Caitlin's backpack, which he had dropped at his feet and handed it to her. "Have a safe trip," he said, offering her stolen bag. "I know you'll do great out there." He glanced back to see if the bystanders had witnessed their public display of affection. He shoved his hands into his back pockets.

"Right." Caitlin's voice was barely above a whisper. She slung her bag over her shoulder and took a few steps back. "Well then...I better go now." Caitlin didn't want to sound bitter or angry; leaving Eric like this was not in the plan. She hated it. She wanted him to reach out and stop her and tell her that he loved her and that he would call her every day. Instead she turned on her heel, leaving Eric standing there, gazing somewhat forlorn.

A tear trickled down her cheek as she opened the door to the waiting vehicle and hopped in. From the side view mirrors she could see Eric still standing there, staring after her with a look of regret or anger. She wasn't quite sure.

"Huh?" Caitlin shook her head, as she realized Dori was staring at her, waiting for an answer to a question . "What did you say?"

Dori's calm, serene face smiled softly and she placed a hand on Caitlin's knee. "Are you ready to go?"

Caitlin swallowed hard and out of the corner of her eye, could see Eric turn on his heel and head towards the rest of the family and friends. She swallowed hard, quickly wiping away the rogue tear that slid down her cheek. "No," she said, shaking her head and plastering a smile on her face. "Let's go."

***tbc***

Please if you read this and enjoyed it or did not, please leave your thoughts with me so I can improve it or just know that you enjoyed it. :D


	39. 39

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: grumblesyesNickoledonownsthemsoIhavenopartinthecreationoranythingelsegrumbles  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Summary**: Eric has arrived back in town and put a wrench in Caitlin and Will's relationship. Caitlin and Eric find themselves drawn to each other and having to deal with the emotions that were left unresolved when he moved away. They must deal with the future and whether they will remain in each other's lives, or will college and other things get in the way?  
**Author's notes:** Whoohoo! Another chapter. I bet I fooled you again. nods Yup. I actually was inspired to write for them again after a few encouraging notes. I have to say that I did actually have stuff written, but then I was too lazy to actually type them up...sheepish grin So ya, shoot me if you will...but ahh, catch-22, cuz i won't be able to muse about these two anymore ;) It's rather short, but hopefully next time will be a little bit longer...hmmm, why am I apologizing? take what you get girlies! :P 

Chapter Thirty Nine

_Hey Caitlin! _

How are things going with you? I'm settling into college life okay. There are tons of people here and it seems like I've managed to meet all of them...or at least most of them. It's weird being here without you, Jordan, or Brett. 

Classes are boring. Right now I'm taking mostly prerequisites. Intro to this and that...you know. 

Well, um this is all for now. I gotta go to class. Miss you and all that mushy stuff. 

E 

Caitlin stared at the blank email form in front of her. Everything she wanted to write was so generic. She couldn't tell him how miserable she was because she wasn't _really_ miserable. In fact, her classes and professors were actually interesting and helpful. She had met several new friends in her classes and wasn't having any trouble fitting in, like she thought she would. 

She bit her bottom lip as her fingers rested on her keyboard. What could she write that didn't sound _distant_? Caitlin groaned and sunk down into the couch. 

"Hey Cat! What are y'all up to?" A 5' 9" red-head bounded into the apartment-style dorm. "I hope you're not studying again," she chided, as she walked passed the living room and into the kitchen. 

Caitlin cringed at the nickname her roommate had given to her. "It's Caitlin," she reminded, not loud enough for her roommate to hear. 

"What?" 

Caitlin heard several cupboard doors open and close. She was always rummaging in the kitchen for some assortment of snacks. The girl had an amazing appetite for someone with such a lanky physique. 

Maisy had made her way up from Virginia to New York to become an actress. It was her dream. Caitlin had listened to the whole Maisy saga when she moved in. It almost seemed like too much to take; but the cheery 19-year old somehow grew on her. 

"Nothing," Caitlin yelled. She glanced down at the computer screen one more time before shutting down her laptop. "So are you and Lane going out clubbing again?" Caitlin shuffled into the kitchen and opened the fridge door, not looking for anything specific, but doing it out of habit. She grabbed a container of juice and closed the door. 

"No," Maisy smiled, licking her index finger and thumb, which was covered in icing from the cupcake she was holding. "I think tonight is a study night for both me and Lane." 

Caitlin's other roommate, Lane, was also in the drama program. She was very outgoing and boisterous; definitely the party-girl of the dorm room. She was always out late and getting up even later. Sometimes Caitlin wondered how Lane made it to classes or if she went to them at all. 

"Oh." 

Maisy spun around to face Caitlin and leaned against the kitchen counter. "So what _is it_ you do in this apartment, Cat?" she drawled, her southern accent prominent as she spoke. "I mean, y'all don't get out much other than to go to class and thangs." 

Caitlin shrugged. "I'm pretty busy with just those _things_," she laughed, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. "But, yeah, I'm not very interested in the whole party scene..." She allowed her voice to trail off, as she took a sip from her glass. 

Maisy furrowed her brow at the information and bit thoughtfully into her cupcake. "You know, you haven't spoken much about your life in Montana much," she said distractedly, as if thinking out loud. "Did you have a 'bo' back in..." she looked down at Caitlin, "where is it that you said you lived again?" 

"High River." Caitlin folded her arms across her chest, while still holding the glass tumbler in one hand. "And yeah, I guess you could say I had a 'Bo'," she smiled at the obvious slang for boyfriend. "He's going to U of C." 

Maisy raised an eyebrow, suggesting she elaborate. 

"Colorado," Caitlin clarified. 

Maisy smiled and nodded. "Oh, I hear it's beautiful out there." She took another bite of the pink frosted dessert, bending forward to catch the stray crumbs. "Not as hot as Virginia, I'm sure." 

Caitlin chuckled. "Yeah, probably not." 

"Hey girls!" Lane's heavy footed entrance was recognized by both Caitlin and Maisy. 

"We're in the kitchen," Caitlin called, stepping over to the dishwasher and placing the tumbler inside. "How come you're so late?" 

It was six o'clock and Lane's classes finished at four. 

"Well _Mom_," Lane drawled, as she hopped up onto the kitchen counter. "I was catching up on a lab due the end of this week." She fiddled with her long, ebony hair that was pinned up by several sparkling clips. "And what fun have I been missing?" Her tone was dry and sarcastic. 

"We were just talking about Cat's boyfriend back home," Maisy chattered excitedly. "Apparently he's going to school out west." 

Lane's eyes flickered in amusement. "Really, so our little shut-in has a life?" 

Caitlin sighed. "And that surprises you?" she replied drolly. "Yes, I have a boyfriend." 

"Well no need to get defensive, Katie!" Lane slid off the counter and grabbed the bag she had dropped on the floor and placed it on the counter. "I was just teasin'." 

"Whatever." Caitlin rolled her eyes and shuffled past Lane and into the living room. "I'm going to meet a couple of friends for supper," she said over her shoulder. "I should be back about a quarter to eight." 

"See ya!" Lane yelled, unconcerned. 

Maisy stuck her head around the corner and waved. "Have a good night!" 

Caitlin gave a backhanded wave and headed out the door. She was definitely missing High River and Eric right about now. 

-- & -- 

"So how are tryouts going?" Griffin asked, while methodically chewing on his lunch. 

Eric shrugged. He had managed to stay focused during workouts, but during lectures and labs, he found his thoughts trailing to Caitlin and how she was doing. _Was she having an amazing time?_

He hadn't heard back from her after his latest email yet. 

"You gotta buck up!" Griffin hated seeing his best friend like this. Eric tried to put on a brave front, but he knew better. And Eric was miserable. "She's probably locked herself in her dorm room with the exception of classes," he suggested optimistically. 

Eric raised a skeptical brow. "Do you know Caitlin to do something as melodramatic as that?" The idea had its merits, but he knew Caitlin was not the 'mooning schoolgirl' type. "Do you see her not making new friends and having a great time?" He grudgingly took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "I don't," he told Griffin irritably. 

Griffin held his hands up in surrender. "Okay bud," he sighed. "Maybe not. But she would definitely not want you to freak out over this long distance thing." Shaking his head, he stuffed the remainder of his lunch into his backpack. 

"You're getting upset over nothing." 

"Am I?" Eric threw his sandwich on the picnic table. "You know how those New York city types are!" he exclaimed, pointing in the direction he assumed New York was. "Flash and glamour! They'll dine her on fish eggs and champagne."  
  
Griffin pressed his lips together, trying hard not to laugh at the absurd notion. "Uh, champagne and caviar?" He couldn't. Griffin burst out laughing. "I think you've seen one to many Hollywood movies," he said wryly, wiping away the tears from his cheeks. "I don't think there are any NYU students throwing money out to the masses." 

Eric stuck his tongue out at Griffin; he knew the boy made sense, but he was in a mood to rant. "Shut up." Packing up his lunch, he swung his leg over the bench and grabbed his bag. "You try having a girlfriend long distance and see how well you do," he lectured. 

"Ahh, grasshoppa," Griffin said, in his best Bruce Lee imitation. "_That_ is the _key_." He threw his arm around Eric's shoulder. "No girl, equals no mental and physical trauma." He laughed. 

Eric groaned. "Yeah, that wasn't what you were saying this summer when Nikki left for U of M," he said knowingly. 

"Nope." Griffin shook his head. "Don't know what you're talking about." He smiled at Eric with a feigned look of ignorance. 

Eric punched Griffin in the shoulder and shook his head. "Whatever..." 

As long as he had Griffin around, he knew he wouldn't go insane. Well, at least from Caitlin anyway. 

_tbc..._

---------- 

__

hopefully. i appreciate the recent reviews that have been submitted as i kind of stopped writing for it after a while. but since there seems to be renewed interest, i'm willing to see where it takes me...


	40. 40

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: A big emphatic 'NO'! I do not own or even have these characters on loan!  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Summary**: Eric has arrived back in town and put a wrench in Caitlin and Will's relationship. Caitlin and Eric find themselves drawn to each other and having to deal with the emotions that were left unresolved when he moved away. They must deal with the future and whether they will remain in each other's lives, or will college and other things get in the way?  
**Author's notes:** Seeeeee! It didn't take years! So stop your complaining and ENJOY the chapter :P 

Chapter Forty

"Hey Anderson!" Connor bellowed from the end of the hallway. "Phone!" 

Eric slung his towel over his shoulder and stopped midstride. "Me?" he replied, frowning. He had already had his regular weekly phone call from his parents. Who could be phoning now? 

"Uh-yeah." The tanned snowboarder from Oregon rolled his eyes and dropped the black receiver, letting it swing from its metal cord. 

Jogging down the hallway, Eric raised a curious brow, as he picked up the phone. "Hello?" 

"Eric?" His whole body tensed in recognition of the familiar voice. 

"Caitlin?" He couldn't hide the excitment and surprise in his voice. "Is that you?" 

"Yeah," she breathed. "I was hoping to catch you before you went out." 

"Out?" Eric wondered what schedule she had been given; he hadn't planned on going out that night. In fact, he had an insane workload to finish for tomorrow's classes. 

"I've tried calling a couple of times and you've been out every time." There was a pause on the phone. "I just assumed you were busy with friends or football," she explained softly. 

Her voice made his whole body ache, wishing that she were standing in that hallway talking with him. Eric leaned against the thin plastic barrier that was supposed to keep phone conversations private - it never did of course. "I didn't get any messages," he replied, frowning. Glancing over his shoulder at the several meandering oafs in the hallway, he wondered which idiot had taken his messages. 

"Oh." 

"But I'm glad you're calling me now," he whispered, leaning into the small, cramped booth-like cuticle. "I've been wanting to talk to you." 

"Yeah?" she said, her pitch rose, as if surprised. 

"Yeah." He smiled to himself at the intimate admission. 

A moment of silence passed between them. 

"Well how are classes going?" she asked, breaking the silence. 

"Good." He nodded to himself, as if she could see his reaction. "I haven't heard anything that I don't know yet. It's just a little more detailed." 

"That's good." 

"How about you?" Eric hoped she would tell him that she was having a horrible time. Most of the emails he had received from her had been more fact oriented and little about whether she had made any really good connections with friends...guys. "H-how have your classes been going?" he asked tentatively. "You haven't been overwhelmed or anything like that?" 

"Nah." His shoulders slumped. "They have been going great, actually. I am loving most of my professors so far." 

"W-well, that's," he exhaled slowly, "great!" 

"But I am missing you," she said quietly. 

His head jerked up and his eyes widened at her admission. "Yeah?" he said casually, leaning deeper into the booth. The words made his chest tighten, and his throat felt suddenly dry. 

"I am loving school, but I am missing everyone from back home." 

Eric licked his dry, chapped lips, as he was pondering whether it was him specifically she was missing or just her life in HIgh River in general. It seemed clear moments before, but then she suddenly lumped him in with 'everyone from back home'. He swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I'm sure everything is a lot different than back here in Montana." 

Just ask her. 

Eric shook off that idea. It would seem too clingy. 

"Eric, it's so much bigger around her in New York." He heard her sigh. "I didn't even realize it." 

"Well, it can't be too bad, right?" He knew how overwhelmed she must have felt, since he felt exactly the same way going to U of C, and that was in state. Somehow he couldn't imagine what it must be like to be hundreds of miles away from home. Suddenly Eric felt the need to comfort her. "Uh, Christmas isn't too far away?" he offered sheepishly. 

Yeah, good one. Eric kicked himself silently, knowing that couldn't have possibly comforting in any way. 

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed. "I just don't know what I'm going to do for Thanksgiving and the other small holidays that don't allow me to go home for a quick visit." 

"Yeah, I guess that kind of sucks, doesn't it?" 

Caitlin laughed. "You could say that," she replied, still chuckling. "I think my roommates might stick around for those too, since they are far from home too." 

"Well that's something," he said, unable to think of how else to reply. 

"Hey Anderson get off the pay phone!" yelled Dallas, a sophmore on his floor. "Others need to use it too...like me!" 

Eric rolled his eyes and ignored the rude request. 

"Do you need to get going?" Caitlin asked. 

"No, don't worry about it," Eric said dismissively. "They can wait." 

"No. I shouldn't tie up the phone like this," she protested. He was about to argue, but she interrupted him. "I should get going too. My roommates are rolling their eyes at me." 

"We're going out for supper." 

"Oh." Eric hated this. He hated not being able to talk with her for hours on end. They had barely got past the fluff talk and into more important things. "Okay," he sighed. 

"I'll talk to you later?" 

"Yeah, of course." 

"Um, when's a good time to call?" she asked tentatively. 

"Caitlin come on!" 

Eric could hear her roommates shouting loudly enough to be picked up by the receiver. "How about I call you during the weekend?" The weekend was hectic, but not so much so that he couldn't find time to find out how she felt things were going when it came to the whole long-distance thing. "In the evening some time?" he suggested. 

"Um, actually I can't do it this weekend," Caitlin said apologetically. "I am actually going away this weekend." 

"Away?" Eric furrowed his brow at the thought. _With who? Doing what?_

"Yeah, a few of my classmates talked me into going on a roadtrip this weekend." 

"Well it doesn't sound like you're going to have a lack of things to do and people to keep you busy," he retorted, slightly annoyed at the thought she had already made close enough friends to be heading out of town with them. 

"Eric." There was a pause. "It's not like that," she protested. "They are making me go." 

"Really?" He was skeptical at the explanation. Caitlin was never 'forced' into doing anything she didn't want to do. "How are they doing that?" he asked, doodling on the pad of notepaper with a pencil left for phone messages. 

"Look Maisy and Lane got tired of me moping around the apartment that they convinced me to go with them and a few guys from the Arts department to the coast." 

"Guys?" He hoped he had accidentally heard wrong. _Maybe she meant pies..._

"They're friends of Lane's. One of them has a house down there." 

Eric shook his head, sticking a finger in his ear, thinking he must be hearing things. "Does Dori know about this little 'trip' you're going on?" he asked irritably, thinking he may be able to appeal to her responsible side, if not guilt her with the morals and ethics the Lowes' instilled in her. 

"Eric, you're kidding right?" 

He frowned. _Why would he be kidding? Of course he wanted them to know!_ "No," he replied quickly, not sure why the idea sounded incredulous to her ears. 

"I'm not going to worry Dori and Jim about every little thing that I'm doing over here," she laughed dubiously. "But to let you know, yes, I did tell them." 

_Damn them! What happened to their morals?_ Eric closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and tried to remain calm. "So what are you going to do there?" He tried to keep his tone light. 

"Probably some sightseeing and maybe go to a club or something," she answered non-chalantly. "I don't think we've made set plans." 

"Well it wouldn't be crazy to cancel then, would it?" he suggested lightly. She laughed. _Obviously not._

"Eric stop worrying," she chided. "It's not like I'm going to get there and start making out with one of the guys." 

He knew _she_ wouldn't, but wasn't too sure about the guys she was going with. Guys were aggressive, perverse scum when it came to girls. 

"Caitliiiiin!" Again her roommates beckoned her. "I'll be right there," she yelled, her voice muffled over the receiver by what was probably her hand covering it. 

"I gotta go," Caitlin informed, laughing softly. 

"All right," he said reluctantly. "I guess I shouldn't keep the phone tied up here either." Glancing over his shoulder, he could see Dallas approaching, with his roommate as backup. "I'll talk to you later?" 

"Yeah," she whispered into the phone. 

"I miss you," he said softly, covering his mouth so the approaching mob wouldn't overhear.   
  
"I miss you too, Eric." There was a moment of silent reflection before the moment was broken by a muffled scream. "She has to go now lover boy," a lazy southern accent drawled. 

"Bye!" another unfamiliar voice chuckled. 

In the background he could hear Caitlin bellowing at the interlopers. "Lane, give that back!" 

Then the gutwrenching click of the receiver hanging up - the line going dead. 

"Bye." Eric didn't have time to wallow in his sorrow before Dallas grabbed the receiver from his hand and shoved him out of the way. "Hey!" Eric growled. 

Dallas rolled his eyes and motioned with a flick of his wrist to get lost. Alan his roommate glared at him with his arms folded across his chest, attempting to look intimidating. "Scram freshman!" Alan barked. 

Eric clenched the towel around his neck, turned around and padded towards the bathroom. He would ignore the stuck up sophmores until he got on the football team, and then he would see who was telling them to scram. _Just wait till then._

Having large linebackers at your back tended to halt any unintelligent schmucks from picking on you. And at that moment, that was the last thing he wanted to have to worry about. 

-- & -- 

"You didn't just hang up on Eric," Caitlin said incredulously, pointing at Lane, who was holding the phone behind her. "You tell me you didn't do that." As much as she had a hard time getting along with Lane, Lane's interference in her love life did nothing to endear the girl to her. 

"We have to get going or we'll lose our reservations," Lane declared, rolling her eyes, as if she couldn't have cared less if Caitlin was upset. "Besides, were we supposed to wait until you got to the - 'you hang up', 'no you'?" She made contorted smooching expressions and then rolled her eyes again. 

"Why didn't you just go without me?" Caitlin folded her arms across her chest. "You didn't have to wait for me," she retorted irritably. "I could have caught up with you later." 

She glanced at the cordless phone in Lane's hand and hated how she ended the conversation with Eric. She didn't even get to say goodbye. 

"I'm sure she didn't mean to hang up," Maisy offered apologetically. "She probably accidentally hit the end button." 

Caitlin glanced over her shoulder and shook her head. "Does that matter?" she spat. "I was having a private conversation, in which you tackled me and took away the phone!" Her face was flushed from the struggle and also anger. 

_Did no one teach them manners?_

"You have to lighten up Seeger," Lane sighed, throwing the phone onto the couch. "I'm sure he'll phone back later, or you'll phone him back and apologize profusely for our 'wicked' behavior." She grabbed her trenchcoat and came up alongside Maisy. 

"Now are you coming for supper or are you going to pout the rest of the night away?" 

Caitlin glared at her like she was insane. "No." She slipped off her coat and flung it onto the couch. "I think you'll be fine if I stay here," she growled. "I wouldn't want to _ruin_ your fun night." 

"Caitlin, we're sorry," Maisy cried, her expression completely distraught. "Please don't be mad." 

_I had to get stuck with Miss. Attitude? Why me?_

"Look, sorry," Lane said drolly, as if it pained her to apologize. "I really didn't mean to hang up on him." 

Caitlin turned and studied Lane's tight-lipped expression and debated whether she believed her or not. She could never read her second roommate very well. "I don't really feel like going out anyway," she sighed, running her fingers through the length of her ever-growing hair. "You should just go without me." 

Both girls lolled their heads back and groaned. "You're being no fun," Lane sighed exasperatingly. "This is supposed to be a 'roommate' thing that we do!" 

"Yes!" Maisy chimed in excitedly. "I think you just need to need to get your mind off of your little beau and join us girl, for a little old fashioned fun!" 

"I thought we were just going out for dinner?" Caitlin eyed them suspiciously. "Is there something you didn't tell me about?" 

Lane and Maisy exchanged knowing looks. They shook their heads emphatically. "No," they stated in unison. 

"We would never plan something _fun_ and," Lane glanced at Maisy, "and not tell you about it." 

The two girls broke out in a twitter of laughter. 

Caitlin shook her head. Her anger had faded and now she was just curious as to what the two girls had planned to spring upon her. "You guys are terrible," she said, unable to keep herself from chuckling at their conspiratorial looks. 

"Are you going to come now," Maisy drawled, her eyes twinkled, as if she were an excited schoolgirl. 

Caitlin hesitated, shrinking back at what these two mischievous girls could have thought up as 'fun' for the night. "I don't..." 

"Seeger, you _so_ are coming," Lane stated, rolling her eyes and heading towards the door. "Come on!" 

Caitlin feigned a look of annoyance at her presumptiousness. Looking over at Maisy, who had a wide grin on her face and was herself moving towards the door, Caitlin sighed, "All right." She stalked towards her two roommates. "Let's go." 

"Great!" Lane waggled her eyebrows. "Let the good times roll." 

Caitlin glanced briefly over at the phone lying on the couch. She would have to call him later on in the week and apologize. 

"Come on," Maisy giggled, pushing Caitlin out the door. "Let's have a girl's night out!" 

_At least she would have something exciting to talk to Eric about after tonight._


	41. 41

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: A big emphatic 'NO'! I do not own or even have these characters on loan!  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Summary**: Eric has arrived back in town and put a wrench in Caitlin and Will's relationship. Caitlin and Eric find themselves drawn to each other and having to deal with the emotions that were left unresolved when he moved away. They must deal with the future and whether they will remain in each other's lives, or will college and other things get in the way?  
**Author's notes:** WHOA! SPOOKY! Here I am again! Just think of it as a christmas present! Although I guess at the end of the chapter you might not look at it that way blink 

Chapter Forty

"And I think we should just call it quits." Eric leaned against the wall, which served as a headboard, as he sat on his bed. He had been going over the speech in his head a few times before Griffin showed up at his door. 

"Where did you come up with this brilliant idea?" Griffin rolled his eyes and groaned. He had been watching Eric distracted by something for the past week and now he knew what it was. Now he just wanted to be in the dark again.

"Long distance thing isn't working Griffin." Eric felt a lump develop in his throat as he worked hard to get those words out. "It's just like I had said to Caitlin before we went off to college," he sighed. "There's just too many things that get in the way."

"In your paranoid, psychotropic brain frenzy?"

"I'm not imagining things, Griff." Eric shook his head and slid off his bed. He wished he were. "She went away for the weekend with a bunch of guys."

"_Two_ guys, to be more specific _and_ her roommates."

The numbers didn't matter. She went off with them and without a thought. It wasn't a good sign - not at all. "Do you think they're going to see the distinction?" he scoffed. "She went with them."

"You're really losing, man." Griffin could not believe the baloney his best friend was blowing. "I mean, worse than usual."

"What are you saying?"

"You're getting _way_ too insecure about Caitlin, which by the way is such a _me_ thing to do that it should warn you about what you're thinking, and you're going to throw away a good thing in attempt to pre-empt her rejection of you."

"You know that thing about Psych 101 I mentioned before," Eric raised a incredulous brow, "yeah, taking it _way_ too seriously."

"Look at what you're saying!" Griffin hated to point out the flaws of his delusions, but as his best friend it was his job. "She has not mentioned or even hinted at feeling different about you since you've talked to her," he sighed. "Plus I know for a fact that she's crazy for you - totally in love."

"We've never said 'I love you'," Eric said hastily.

"Close enough."

"No. It's not." The hackles on Eric's neck raised as Griffin seemed bent on convincing him he was wrong for making the hardest decision he had faced since he told Caitlin about his feelings.

"Well from watching the two of you," Griffin gazed at him pointedly, "do your little dance, it seems to me, that it's pretty much a done deal."

"You think so?" Eric banged the back of his head against the wall. He wanted to believe what Griffin said. He wanted to believe that trusting in their friendship and what they had developed over the summer could bridge the distance.

"Yeah."

-&-

"How do I tell him?" Caitlin whispered those words over and over as she paced in her apartment. Her head was spinning with images of several versions of conversations that would arise from what she had to tell Eric.

"You don't."

Caitlin's head jerked up to see Lane leaning against her doorway. The petite Asian girl had a dry, look of disbelief on her face. "I have to tell him," she said distractedly.

"That you kissed another guy?" she scoffed. "Oh yeah, that'll go over _real_ well."

"No," Caitlin shook her head in protest, "that _he_ kissed me."

"Same diff." Her roommate strolled into her room and splayed herself across Caitlin's bed.

"No, it's not." Caitlin had gone over the scene time and time again in her head. Had she given him any signals? Had she led him on? And everytime, she came back with the same answer. "No," she stated firmly. "I didn't want it."

"And that's supposed to make a difference?" Lane shook her head and snorted. "Hey, if that's what keeps you from feeling guilty as hell, then go right ahead."

"Hey, I was just talking to Jeff and he kissed me." Caitlin could not believe she had to explain this to Lane. She had been right there. She had been sitting on the beach with Jeff and during their conversation he leaned over and kissed her. No hints or warnings.

"No need to explain. He's cute enough and good ole whatshisname is over two hundred miles away."

"No!" Caitlin spun around and glared at Lane. "You know that's not what happened!"

"Well I'm just saying that you shouldn't be crushed if you don't end up with your boytoy at the end of this all out confessional." Sitting up, Lane swung her legs over the side of the bed and shrugged. "No guy likes to hear the girl they've been pining for kissed another guy," she explained.

"Stop. Eric's not like that."

"You kiss a guy when you're across the country and he's not going to take offense? What Fantasy Island are you living in? You may live in Montana, but even guys there have egos."

"So what you're telling me is that I've got to lie to him?" Caitlin looked at her in digust.

"I'm not asking you to."

"Yes you are!"

"Have it your way. I'm telling you to lie for the sake of your relationship, which you seem to 'cherish' so much."

The way Lane managed to say it made her feel like a fool for even thinking of even mentioning the kiss to Eric, but she knew that if she didn't, it would consume her. So she prayed that it wasn't a huge gamble that Lane was making it sound like - telling Eric that a guy she had gone away with kissed her.

She prayed that he understood.

-&-

"You what?" He didn't expect to have this conversation that night. In fact, Griffin had so convinced him that he was insane for doubting Caitlin's feelings for him that he was going to apologize to her for the way he had been distancing himself. But this...this was too much.

"Jeff kissed me." The words felt like paste in her mouth.

They had been making surface conversation when she found the words just tumbling out of her mouth. It had hit him like a wrecking ball. She could just imagine his face right now, scrunched up in anger and betrayal.

"You're joking, right?"

"I didn't want it. It just happened."

"It. Just. Happened." Those words brought no comfort to him. Eric thought they possibly might. Maybe he had misunderstood the whole thing. "How did it...just happened?"

The stinging accusation rang clearly through the telephone receiver. Caitlin hated it. Part of her wished she had taken Lane's advice. At the rate this conversation was going, what her roommate had predicted would come to light.

"You know this sounds eerily familiar."

"What do you mean?" Caitlin was thrown by his odd comment.

"Will and you broke up after we 'just kissed'." Eric rested his head against the payphone, as if he didn't, he would surely fall down from the immensity of Caitlin's unexpected confession. "I should have known..." he whispered to himself. "Karma."

"W-what..." Caitlin was trying to follow Eric's line of thinking, until it finally dawned on her. Eric believed that he had come between Will and her that this was somehow cosmic payback. "I-it's not the same," she protested. "I don't even _know_ Jeff."

"Except that you felt you knew him well enough to go away on a weekend with him." The words just came rushing out. He hadn't even meant them as an accusation.

"Eric!" Caitlin was in shock. She thought he knew her better than that. "You _know_ it's not like that."

"I told Griffin it was bound to happen."

"You told Griffin what?" Caitlin suddenly felt her face begin to flush. "What have you and Griffin been talking about?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's...someone seeing another person..." Eric knew how amazing Caitlin was; it was bound to happen. It was inevitable.

"Are you calling me some sort of tramp or slut?" A bitter aftertaste was left in her mouth. She never imagined having to ask Eric something so demeaning.

"It's not your fault."

As soon as those words left his mouth, he knew he had said the wrong thing.

"Damn right it's not my fault," Caitlin found herself now standing in her room, off of her bed, which she had been sitting on. "And I can't believe you just called me that! Just what do you think I'm doing here in New York?" she spat into the phone. "A couple of months in New York and I'm willing to sell myself off to the highest bidder?"

"No!" Eric cried out, knowing what he was trying to say wasn't coming out right. "I didn't mean it like that. I didn't mean you were _that_"

"Well what _do_ you mean?"

Eric tried to piece together in his head what he was trying to say. _You're a beautiful, smart girl, who has a lot to offer. I don't deserve you and I understand why guys are after you._ But none of those things formed in his mouth. "Caitlin, I think we should end it," he blurted out.

Tactless and blunt. Eric hated how it sounded. He hated the words probably more than Caitlin did right at that moment.

"W-hat?" Her voice hitched as she felt her breath catch in her throat. Caitlin fell back onto her bed and stared blankly at the white wall in front of her, not even seeing the wall at all.

"The long distance thing isn't working." The words seemed lame in the light of their conversation. It seemed like an excuse.

"For you?"

"For us."

Caitlin shook her head as the voice over the phone seemed distant and cold - not even broken at the idea. "Is this what you and Griffin were discussing all this time?" she asked in disbelief. "I-is this what you've been thinking about the entire time I told you how much I missed you?"

"I-I..." Eric felt his chest tight as her broken voice squeezed his heart. This was harder than he had imagined. In his mind everything seemed to happen mechanically almost.

"How can you say...?" Caitlin couldn't believe this was really happening. Eric was ending it with her on the phone. It seemed so Hollywood dramatic.

"It's too much of a strain," Eric interrupted her, pushing on knowing that it needed to be done. The kiss with the mystery guy had been evidence of just that.

"You mean you're taking the easy way out," she accused.

"No."

"Yes!" Caitlin shouted into the phone, once again standing up, as the blood rushed through her veins. Shaking her head she didn't believe that he wanted this. She knew she didn't. "I thought you could understand," she said, feeling like the tears in her throat were going to choke her.

"I do." He understood perfectly that they weren't ready for any type of commitment.

"But just the same you're calling us quits?"

"Caitlin, I just..." Before he could finish she cut him off.

"Don't." Caitlin gritted her teeth, knowing that she couldn't hear his pathetic excuses as to why this was right. "I don't think I could stomach another word out of your mouth," she whispered. Closing her eyes she pressed the end button on the black cordless receiver.

Eric heard the dull hum of the dialtone in his hear. Carefully he placed it back on its hook. Staring at the hallway payphone, he wished he could just pull the phone right out of the wall. _Why? Why did you force my hand like this?_

Caitlin threw the phone against the wall, as she slid down to the floor; she had succumbed to the tears. _You weren't supposed to do this. You were supposed to believe me._


	42. 42

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: A big emphatic 'NO'! I do not own or even have these characters on loan!  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:** Long time no see, eh girls? Well this has been sitting on my desktop forever. Just couldn't think of a way to finish it until now. The CW reruns helped inspire though. :D 

Chapter Forty Two

"I don't know if I should come over," Eric hedged as Griffin's old beater neared the familiar ranch. "It's going to be awkward." 

There was snow on the ground and Christmas lights aglow down the long stretch of grid road. Christmas break could not have come sooner, Eric had thought, when he was knee deep in exams. But now, as they approached his second home, he knew that the sentiment had passed.

"It's going to fine," Griffin said reassuringly. "From what I've heard from Caitlin, she's not really _that_ that mad anymore. I'm sure you two can handle being two mature adults for a few hours."

"Look who you're talking to, Griff." Eric glared at his best friend. He had not managed to make a mature decision since he graduated high school. No one would confuse him for an adult. "I'm not that confident," he added, running his fingers through his hair.

Things had gone sour pretty quick after he broke up with Caitlin. Griffin had been livid, not understanding why he had broken up over something that 'didn't sound like her fault' - as Griffin had put it. It took weeks before he finally convinced Griff that he wasn't going to change his mind. In fact, it took his dating a girl from his Calculus class for his best friend to stop ragging on him for what seemed like every moment of every day. Now at least Griff had managed to accept what he felt was the right course of action at the time. Whether he felt the same way now was another matter.

"Dude, don't worry."

"How can you say that?" he exclaimed. "Even _you_ haven't seen her yet." Eric imagined the kind of horribly awkward situation, which would most likely arise from his unexpected arrival. "I don't want to ruin anyone's Christmas break."

"It should be fine."

"Heck," Eric cried, slipping out of the car. "I don't even know if your parents still like me after all of this."

"They're fine with you."

"Mark my words, I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Besides, she's got a friend coming with her."

_Friend?_

"What kind of friend?" Eric frowned as they entered the ranch-style house.

&--

"Griffin?" Caitlin heard the front porch door slam and assumed it was her cousin, since he was the only one they were waiting on. Excited, she jumped off the kitchen stool and headed towards the living room. It would be good to see him. "Where have you..." The rest of her question left her as she saw the boyish grin belonging to her ex. Clearing her throat, Caitlin plastered a smile on her face. "Where have you been?" she choked out.

"Look who I ran into downtown!" Griffin exclaimed over-enthusiastically.

"Eric." She managed to keep the bitterness from lacing her words, which was something she did not think she could have done two months ago.

"So how was your flight home?" Griffin said, interrupting the awkward silence that had fallen upon the former trio of best friends. "I heard you were bringing a friend home? Perhaps a girl, you know, for your wonderful cousin?"

Caitlin glanced at Griff, who had the same old grin on his face whenever he tried to crack a joke. "Uh, yeah." She was flustered; she had no idea Griffin could be such a loser as to invite Eric over the day of her return. "Jake," she said distractedly.

And as if on cue, the tall curly-haired freshman she had met at NYU poked his head around the corner. "Yo." He smiled with a crooked grin and saluted with his index finger. "Someone mention my name?" he asked.

Eric could taste the bile rising from his throat. She had brought home a guy. He closed his eyes, attempting to restrain the desire to get up in the goofy looking guy's face. Taking a deep breath, he smiled politely, as if his presence did not phase him. What right did he have in the first place?

He had no right to feel protective or even possessive about Caitlin. They were over. It had been his decision.

"Hi Jake," he said hesitantly, offering his hand to the stranger. "I'm Eric. A friend of the Griffster here."

Caitlin furrowed her brow. Eric was being civil and it was unexpected behavior from the boy who had always managed to get up in the face of any guy who paid attention to her. _It's what happens when someone is over you._

_I'm mature. I'm mature._ Eric ran the chant over and over in his head as he tried to remember he was in college now and should not overreact in a situation like this.

"And this is," Caitlin pointed to her still stick-framed cousin, "Griffin."

"Hey," Jake nodded in Griffin's direction, with him following suit.

"Hey."

Caitlin really wished this awkwardness could end. She wracked her brain trying to think up conversation starters between the three guys and herself. _Nothing. I got nothing._

"Griffin and Caitlin!" Dori yelled from the kitchen. "Supper's ready."

_Saved by the bell._

_-&-_

"So you're an actor, are you, Jake?" Dori had been trying to keep the mealtime somewhat civilized. "I heard a Midsummer Night's Dream was a production that you were in recently," she said, resting her utensils on the side of her plate.

"Uh, yeah. It was an intense production."

"So you were a fairy?" Eric asked casually, glancing over at Griffin who choked at the subtle insinuation.

"Nah, not that lucky," he chuckled. "I played Lysander."

"And he was awesome," Caitlin blurted out, glaring at Eric. "It was sold out every night."

"You don't need to promote me," Jake laughed uncomfortably. "That's what an agent's for."

"I _want_ to." Caitlin knew what Jake was thinking; and he was partially right. She was saying these things to spite Eric; but she also believed the things she was saying about Jake as well. "You were great when I went to see you during the last night."

"It must be hard though," Griffin said curiously. "With everyone aspiring to be an actor and all."

"It's a tough business." Jake nodded. "But it's something I've always loved. Plus, I've had a lot of encouragement. I have a great support system."

"Yeah, hundreds of adoring girls knocking down your door?" Eric commented, smiling politely.

Caitlin could have throttled Eric. _So much for mature._ Instead of acting on her feelings, she just ignored him. "Thanks for letting him stay with us through Christmas break, Dori and Jim."

"Yeah, that was nice of you," Jake agreed. "A lonely sad waif taken in my a kindly family. It's much appreciated, especially after that wonderful supper." He patted his stomach.

"It was take out," Eric stated.

"But she did a great job of putting it out on the plates and everything," he deadpanned. "And that's what counts."

_Oh brother._ Eric rolled his eyes. This was just too much. "Well," he sighed, glancing down at his watch. "Look at the time. I better be getting home or my parents might send out the reinforcements."

"But you haven't had dessert yet," Dori frowned. "And it's your favorite. Molten Chocolate Surprise."

"Maybe another time," he declined, pushing back his chair. "Thanks for the grub, Mrs. Lowe."

"I'll walk you to the door," Griffin said, placing his napkin on the table.

"Nice to meet you, Jake," Eric said distractedly, pausing in front of Caitlin. "Later, Caitlin."

"Yeah, right." Caitlin didn't even bother to glance up at him. "Later," she breathed, while poking at a french fry.

He had a lot of gall to make those rude backhanded comments about Jake. She didn't like it. Even though he was still obviously upset, Jake had done nothing to him.

_'Oh you can't really expect him not to react?'_ a quiet voice scoffed.

Caitlin bit the inside of her cheek, upset at the silent accusation.

&-

"What was that?" Griffin frowned, as he closed the door behind him. "Dude, that was so uncool."

"What are you talking about?" Eric cried out in disbelief. "I didn't do anything."

"The off-handed digs that you were spitting out?" Griffin got that Eric had been thrown at Jake's presence, but it didn't give him a right to say those things, when the guy had been nothing but nice.

"What? A guy couldn't inquire as to whether the guy was a fairy or not?"

"No the other stuff." Griffin shook his head at his best friend. "I'm all fine with your decision to break up with Caitlin, even though I think it was completely bogus. But you can't be freakin' out about it when she decides to move on."

"And so she's moved on for sure?" asked Eric. It hadn't been made specifically clear that she was dating the guy. Part of him hoped...

"Dude what does it matter? You're over her, right?" No reply. Sighing, Griffin chuckled, "You're lucky she didn't kick your butt for saying those things."

"Oh there's still time," Caitlin said drolly, slipping onto the porch.

"Oh, hey Caitlin," Griffin coughed awkwardly. "What are you doing out here?"

"Griffin leave me and Eric alone for a minute."

From her tone, Griffin knew it was more of a command than a request.

"Uh, right." He shuffled towards the door. "Sorry Eric," he called. "You're on your own on this one."

&--

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Eric folded his arms across his chest, head hung low, unable to look her in the eye. "Um, making conversation?"

"Eric..." She was at a loss for words. What right did he have? "You...you suck."

Eric's head perked up at this. "Suck?"

"Shut up," she sighed, knowing it sounded lame. "That doesn't excuse your behavior."

"You know you sounded like Dori, just then?" he teased.

"No, I didn't," she protested, waving her hands in the air.

"Yes it did."

Eric swallowed, trying to figure out exactly what he was doing with Caitlin right then. _Was he flirting? What the heck was he doing?_

Caitlin bit the bottom of her lip, as she turned and locked gazes with him. Suddenly neither seemed to have anything to say. The whole situation seemed so familiar...so comfortable.

_But you're not together anymore. He broke up with you._

"Well, that's not the point., Caitlin said slowly, finally breaking the silence. "You were rude to Jake and that's not okay."

"I wasn't trying to be."

"Yes you were."

Eric paused. "Okay, maybe a little," he admitted. "But really. An actor?"

"What's wrong with that?" Caitlin shrugged. "He's good at it and it's something he loves to do."

"But acting?"

Caitlin rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're hopeless."

"True," Eric nodded, closing the distance between them. "But that was part of my charm."

"Sometimes," she breathed, trying to keep her cool as he drew nearer.

Stopping a few inches in front of her, Eric searched her eyes, wanting the truth. "So you're with him?" he asked hesitantly. "L-like really with him."

Caitlin felt herself lean in towards him, the familiar scent of soap and hay filling her senses. Closing her eyes, she gritted her teeth as the memory of that loud dial tone echoed through her head. She wouldn't let him do this. She couldn't.

Suddenly she pulled away from him, stepping back from him, like he had done something to offend her.

"You know what, you really don't get to know that," Caitlin said, a mixture of anger and pain in her eyes. "Because you're the one who walked away."

"C-Caitlin," Eric stammered. "Wait..."

"No," she said, shaking her head, knowing tears threatened to fall. "This time I get to walk away."

With that, he watched her slip through the screen door without another word. It was like his heart broke a second time - except this time it wasn't his decision.


	43. 43

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: I wish I owned the characters. Especially Eric...drool Ahem. blinks Did I say that outloud?  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:** I am here. Is this a brilliant masterpiece? Prolly not. I mean, this is coming from a person who was just too lazy to spell 'probably' in the previous sentence...  


Chapter Forty Three

"So that was the ex, huh?" Jake slipped his head into Caitlin's bedroom.

"Uh," Caitlin was startled and sat up on her bed, "yeah. Eric and I used to date."

Jake paused a moment, waiting to see if it was appropriate for him to enter her room. She seemed quite upset when she entered the house after Eric left. Caitlin had gone straight upstairs.

Caitlin motioned for him to enter. "I wasn't expecting to see him so soon," she sighed.

"So he's the reason I'm here, I take it?"

"What?" she exclaimed incredulously. "No!"

Jake raised a questioning brow. He knew Caitlin fairly well, but not enough to get invited home for the holidays. It had left him wondering why - until that night. "You know it wouldn't be the first time a girl brought home a guy to make her ex feel jealous," he offered, as he sat down beside her. "And there's nothing wrong with it."

"I didn't..." Caitlin paused mid-sentence and then let out a frustrated breath. "Okay," she said softly. "I guess that might have been in the back of my mind."

Caitlin couldn't believe it. Now that she was faced with the truth, she realized that was exactly the reason she had brought Jake home for Christmas. She couldn't believe she was one of _those_ kind of girls. It was something _Taylor_ would do. Not her.

"God, that sounds pathetic."

"Don't beat yourself up," Jake laughed. "It's all right. Especially if he was pretty special to you."

"No," caitlin protested, turning and meeting his gaze. "It's not. I never intentionally set out to do this. I would never use someone like that. I'm really sorry."

"Hey," he nudged her with his shoulder, "don't worry about it. I'm an actor. I'm pretty good at playing along." He paused. "or at least that's what I'm paying good money to learn how to do it."

Caitlin laughed. "Well, in any case, I really am sorry."

"I don't mind." He shrugged. "I mean, it is a good cause and all."

"Yeah, right."

Her thoughts flashed back to her conversation with Eric that night. He seemed regretful about the breakup. It even had almost seemed like he had wanted her back. Her breath caught in her throat even at the memory. She had felt that instant pull to him, even when he had broken up with her like he did. She had definitely not gotten over him.

"You know, I could probably be persuaded to even let your little friend think we're together."

"What?" Caitlin was sharply pulled from her own thoughts by the offhanded suggestion made by Jake. "What did you just say?" she asked, slightly confused.

"We could play up our friendship," Jake said slowly. "When he's around. I mean it couldn't hurt? Depends what kind of reaction we're going for."

"I-I don't even know what to say about that." She slowly shook her head, as she rose from the bed.

Caitlin hated playing games. She was above it. But glancing back at Jake, she caught herself considering it.

"Well, what do you want?" Jake asked sincerely. "Do you want him back? Or do you want to just make him hurt?"

She couldn't believe he was even asking these questions. Jake had never seemed the type of a guy to play games like this. He didn't seem manipulative enough. But apparently she was wrong. "I couldn't," she said finally. "It's just not me."

_Really?_

"I couldn't do it," she said again, her resolve stern. "It wouldn't be right."

"Well it wouldn't be right if we were doing it just to hurt the guy," Jake agreed. "But if you're doing it to make the guy keep his distance, that would be different, wouldn't it?"

Caitlin considered this. Eric and Griffin were best friends and he was bound to be around the ranch a lot during the Christmas break. Her thoughts drifted to their close encounter again. She could not let it happen again. She did not think she had the resolve to resist touching him or kissing him when he was that close.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Jake frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Okay, I'll do it," she breathed, nodding her head. "We'll pretend to be a couple to make sure he keeps his distance."

>>>

_Stupid. Stupid._

Eric could not believe he allowed himself to lapse like that, in front of Caitlin, of all people. He had run through that conversation a million times since he returned from the Lowe's ranch, and everytime he found himself staring at her, mezmerized by her eyes and overwhelmed by the desire to kiss her. There had been no other ending. He could not resist.

But she could. She had.

_Of course she could, dummy. You're the one who dumped her and left her brokenhearted._

But how could he have known that he had hurt her in that way? For all he knew, she had moved on to the next guy, the next day.

_'What? Are you stupid?'_ a small voice in his head scoffed. _'You know deep down that she cared a lot about you. More than you deserve.'_

Eric groaned as he threw himself onto his pillow. "I blew it."

_'No argument here.'_

So what was he supposed to do? He had no right to ask her to forgive him for being such a dick. What he had done to Caitlin was almost on the level of unforgiveable.

_'And she has a boyfriend now.'_

"Jake." The name still left a bitter taste in his mouth. "How happy could she be with the guy?" he asked out loud. "He's an actor for pete's sake!"

He could have been overreacting. She had not told him out-right that they were dating - that she was seeing him. In fact, she walked away.

That was a good sign, wasn't it?

_Maybe I could ask her to forgive me?_

Eric hoped against all hope that he was right. Maybe Caitlin could forgive him and they could work things out. He had been afraid, overly sensitive when he had left for college. But he had regained his bearings. He knew that Caitlin was the one. He knew that she was the one he saw a life with.

He just hoped it wasn't too late.

>>>

Uncomfortable fawning. That was the only thing she could call it. As they entered the Malt Shoppe, Caitilin did not know the extent of Jake's intent to make their coupling believable in front of Eric. First it began with his arm draped around her, until the next thing she knew, they were holding hands and he was making googly eyes at her.

"You know, you'd never make a good actress," Jake whispered into her ear, as she shied away at the intimate act.

"What do you mean?" she asked, glancing briefly over at Eric, who was sitting with Jordan and Brett, who had come home that weekend.

"You keep staring at him."

Caitlin turned and met Jake's amused gaze. "I'm just not used to this," she said under her breath, trying to remain casual. "I don't like to play games."

"Well, I have to say it's got his attention though," he mused. "Because his eyes haven't left you since we arrived."

"Really?" She bit her lip, trying to stop herself from sounding so invested.

She was over him. And that was that.

"What else is he doing," she asked casually, making sure to keep eye contact with Jake and force herself not to look over her shoulder. "Just for curiosity's sake."

"Uh, yeah, right," he chuckled. Jake paused a moment and then smiled at her. "And the way his friends seem to be clinging to his shoulders, it seems he doesn't like it too much."

Her heart skipped a beat. _Eat your heart out, Anderson._ "Oh, really?"

"You know, this could almost be considered cruel and unusual punishment, ya know?"

Caitlin thought about it a moment and suddenly she realized her guilt had dispersed and was replaced with delightful glee at the thought that Eric was suffering. "And your point?"

Jake shrugged, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm at your beck and call, madmoiselle," he said, bowing his head. "I don't know the guy from Adam. For all I know, he deserves a little bit of torture."

"Right." She nodded. Slowly, she turned her head slightly, just enough to see Eric out of the corner of her eye. He was still watching them. "He never was one for subtlety," she said to herself.

"Do you really want him to get riled up?" Jake asked mischieviously.

She furrowed her brow. "What do you..." She was unable to finish her sentence as Jake's lips were unexpectedly pressed against hers.

Her mind swirled as she felt his warm hands pull her closer and kiss her more passionately. Caitlin didn't know what was happening. After a moment, she felt Jake break the kiss and her head cleared. Her hand subtley wiped her lips, as she glared incredulously at Jake. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Pushing his buttons," Jake smirked, as he motioned with a jerk of his head to the commotion behind them.

She heard the harsh screech of metal legs against the linoleum floor. Spinning around she swallowed hard as Eric's stormy eyes met hers, and the guilt flooded over her. Brett and Jordan seemed to pull at him, in an attempt to make him sit down, but he jerked his arms out of their grasp and out of reach. He paused a moment. It seemed to Caitlin that he might just march over to their table and cause a scene, but all he did was spin on his heel and walk out of the Malt Shoppe.

Her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. _God, what did I do?_ She glanced over at Jordan and Brett, who just shook their heads in disdain. "What did I do?" she whispered, as she let her head hit the table surface.

"Caitlin?"

"Jake, just don't say anything."

"I-I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I just thought that was what you wanted? You wanted a rise out of him."

Caitlin sat up and stared at him, and on impulse, she hit him on his bicep. "Not like that!" she cried. Turning around, she stared out through the display window at the miserable gloom of the clouded afternoon. "I didn't want to hurt him like that."


	44. 44

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: I wish I owned the characters. Especially Eric...drool Ahem. blinks Did I say that outloud?  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:**Okay Okay! It's here. Yeesh. I didn't know people were going to hound me. :P hehehe. Actually I think I enjoyed that part :D  


Chapter Forty Four

"You're sure?" "I'm sure I saw her kiss him along with Brett and Jordan! As well as half of High River!" Eric picked up a stone that lay at his feet and flung it hard against the barn wall. He had no words to describe what he was feeling. It was like this raw energy threatening to explode from inside.

"Man, I could have sworn..."

"Well don't," he said through gritted teeth. "I was stupid to think that she hadn't."

"Now what?" Griffin felt horrible. He had been the one pushing Eric to make a go of it. He had been the one swearing that he thought Caitlin was just pushing his buttons with this Jake guy.

"Now I know it's really over." The words seemed to come out without thought. And the energy that had been pressing out on all sides just dissipated.

"You're not going to even say anything to her? Maybe you misinterpreted..."

"My eyes," Eric spun around and stared at him in disbelief, "didn't _misinterpret_ her lips on his!"

Griffin jumped at his outburst. "E-Eric," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Eric turned his back to Griffin again and shrugged. He forced himself to take deep breaths. Everything around him felt like it was closing in on him. He just needed to get away.

"Eric?"

"There's nothing to be sorry about. I got it right the first time."

>>>

"What did you do to him?" Griffin exclaimed, crashing without thought into Caitlin's room.

"What?" Caitlin hated it when he would barge into her room. She needed her privacy.

"Are you and Jake really together?" He was going to get down to the truth if it killed him. And by the deadly glare Caitlin was giving him, it was closer than he imagined. But none of that mattered after seeing how angry and distraught his best friend was. "Are you?" he repeated the question.

"Is it any of your business?" The sudden interrogation set her on edge. She studied him, wondering what had brought on this sudden outburst. "Griffin," she growled, getting up from her bed to escort her unwanted visitor out. "Get out of my room."

"Well apparently you made it the business of everyone frequenting the Malt Shoppe." His accusation made her freeze. _Good. She'd better feel horrible about it._

"W-what did you say?" Her blood ran cold at the uncanny description of the disaster that had happened only a few hours ago.

"Something that included _Eric_," he said harshly, shaking his head in disgust. "How could you DO that, Caitlin?"

"I-I didn't," she stammered, trying to collect her thoughts. "I didn't plan..."

"What have you turned into?" he asked, ignoring her ramblings. "You were never like this before New York. Did that turn you into some heartless...

"Stop!" Caitlin pressed her hands over her ears. She couldn't hear him say those things. They weren't true. She wasn't any of those things. "You don't have a right to judge me!" she said, lowering her hands. "And for your information, Eric has no right to feel betrayed! He. Dumped. Me."

"But you really aren't _with_ this guy, right?"

"Well, no..." He had her on that.

"So you were using him to get back at Eric. Hurt him, like he hurt you?" Griffin felt exasperated at his adopted sister. "That's low - even for you."

Caitlin wanted to scream at him, hit him for saying it, but she couldn't. The words were caught in her throat. She couldn't because it was true. "Stop! I know!" she sighed. "I know."

"Well then tell that to Eric. Tell him what he saw was a lie."

"I can't." She sat down on her bed. All of the sudden her body felt weighted.

"Why?" If he could get her to admit her feelings, then maybe there might be a road to reconciliation for the two dopes.

"Because it doesn't matter. We're over."

"Says who?" he asked incredulously.

"Hello?" Caitlin raised a sharp brow. "Were you not there? Griffin, he broke up with me. Newsflash."

"So that means he deserves every cruel and mean thing you and Jake can dream up?"

"No," she said slowly. "But why should it matter?"

"Because - " He faltered. Griffin couldn't tell her that Eric had fallen in love with her. Not when the guy couldn't admit it himself. "Because it does to him."

"Why?" Caitlin did not understand why it mattered so much to Griffin if she explained or not. "He is the one who didn't give a damn about us - me - to even hear my side of the story, much less believe it. Might as well let him assume the worst."

"Caitlin..."

"He just," her voice softened, "just took off and ran."

"He does care Caitlin."

"So he says," she said skeptically.

"He does," Griffin replied, sitting beside her. "I can tell."

"Well he has done a bang up job of showing it." She could feel the tears welling up. They had stopped weeks ago. Now they had returned for an encore.

"You know Eric," he sighed. "He's impulsive. Stupid sometimes." It was true. His best friend was sometimes a clod when it came to his feelings. "He won't tell you what he's feeling. I mean, typical guy."

It was somewhat of a lame excuse. But what other defense did they, as males, have as a defense?

"Well, he was supposed to grow up and know I wouldn't hurt him like that," she huffed, on the verge of breaking down into tears. "Idiot."

"How?" Griffin asked warily. He knew girls were another species, but sometimes they had to give them a break. "How was he supposed to know?"

"Because..." _Why? Why was he supposed to know?_ "Because you don't do that to people you..."

"You what?"

Caitlin furrowed her brow and swallowed hard. "P-People you love."

>>>

Christmas break was over. It had been the longest two weeks of his life. After the Malt Shoppe fiasco, Eric had vowed to isolate himself for the whole break. It had been easier than he thought.

There had been the odd call from Griffin, which he just ignored, not bothering to return them. But his best friend had felt some sense of duty to check up on him. Eric had supplicated, going along with the first few visits, pretending to be happy and released from the binds that came with a relationship. But it got tiresome and hard after a while.

His parents seemed also to fret over him when he began locking himself in his room after daily chores. It was like he couldn't get a moment's peace. Wallowing and self-pity were apparently frowned upon.

Part of him had half-expected Caitlin to show up at his doorstep. But she hadn't. _Which is a good thing, right?_

_'Of course.'_

Right. That sounded believable.

"Ready for the drive back?" his mother asked worriedly. "I mean, you could probably stay an extra few days, since you seemed to have had a tough Christmas break."

"No!" Eric exclaimed, trying to hide the 'caged animal' syndrome he was feeling at this time. "I mean, Griffin's coming to pick me up and stuff. So I shouldn't mess up his plans and all."

The doorbell rang.

"That's your ride," his father bellowed.

"Coming!" Eric slung his bags over his shoulder and gave his mother a quick kiss. "I'll phone you when we get there," he said, reassuring his concerned mother. "I'll be fine." She looked doubtful. He gave his father a brief hug and headed out the door.

He would be fine. He had managed to get Caitlin out of his system. He was sure of it.

"Eric."

"_Caitlin_." Stopped mid-stride, his muscles tensed, as the familiar image of the red-headed beauty stood in front of him.

"I wanted to talk..."

"_We_," he looked behind her at Griffin, who shrugged casually at her sudden appearance, "really need to get on the road."

"It won't take long."

She shifted uneasily, glancing to her right, alerting him to _his_ presence.

"I take this isn't just a fond farewell," he scoffed, resting his gaze upon Jake. "Otherwise he wouldn't have shown up."

"Eric, please," she whispered. "I promise I won't take long."

"What? Do you want a show?" He stepped forward, attempting to move past Caitlin and to her new boy-toy.

"Stop it," Caitlin said sternly. "This isn't about him."

"It's not?" He locked gazes with her, searching for some connection. He did not want to show weakness. He hadn't intended to go off like that. But of course, he hadn't expected for her to show up at his doorstep with _him_.

"Okay," she said awkwardly. "Maybe it's a little."

"You know what?" He took a step back. Being near her, still had an affect on him, as much as he fought it. "It doesn't matter," he said dismissively. "It really doesn't."

"Sure seems that way," a voice scoffed in the background.

Eric's gaze flitted that way. He was not in the mood for the pseudo-actor's color commentary. "Do you have something to say?" he sneered. "Cause, if you do, please feel free."

"Eric." Caitlin turned his focus back to her. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" Like anything she had to say would matter.

"I'm sorry."

"What for?" He frowned. It made absolutely no sense. _Of course it could be for embarrassing you._

"I hurt you for no reason at the Malt Shoppe," she said slowly. As if drawing out her words would somehow lessen the pain of the memory of her kissing another guy. "And I didn't really mean for it to go that far."

"What are you saying?" He did not want to know the intimate details of her love life. Not now. And in fact, not ever. "I don't have time for this," he said exasperated.

"How about stop interrupting the lady long enough for her to tell you?" Jake chipped in.

"You know," Eric clenched his fists and made a move to pummel the snarky jerk, "if I were you I'd shut the hell up." Caitlin, however, stopped him. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly.

"Don't."

"Well then teach your boyfriend to keep his trap shut," he snarled. "Before I do it for him."

"I can't."

"Why not? Can't control him?"

"Because he's not my boyfriend."

"What?" Eric exclaimed, slightly confused.

"He's not my boyfriend." Caitlin stood in front of him like her words explained everything.

"What are you talking about?" He had seen her. She had kissed him. Of course he was her boyfriend. She wouldn't let some stranger kiss her like that if he weren't...

"You were a jerk, Eric," she declared, folding her arms across her chest. "You were a jerk for dumping me like that and I wanted to get you back."

"So you kissed him?" He couldn't believe how spiteful that sounded.

"No, _I_ kissed _her_ you moron," Jake spoke up. "Because she's hot. And you're too stupid to see what you had."

"Why is he here!" Eric exclaimed, frustrated and confused.

"That's all I had to say," Caitlin said calmly. "That's all I had to say."

Eric opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, she turned on her heel and slipped her arm through Jake's and walked towards the second vehicle parked in behind Griffin's monster.

He was clueless. Eric stood there baffled and confused as to what the hell had just happened. Caitlin had just stood there to tell her that she was indeed _not_ dating the S.O.S. padhead, and that he was a jerk. "What the hell was that?" He threw his hands up in the air.

"She was just telling you what she was feeling," Griffin said softly.

"That was supposed to explain anything?" he said incredulously. "It just made me more confused and lost than I was."

"I told you."

"What?" Eric grabbed his stuff, which was laying at his feet, and walked towards Griff's car.

"I told you that she wasn't with him."

"Griffin," he stopped, resting his hands on the top of the car, "she just walked off with him."

"And she came here to tell you that she wasn't _with_ him."

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Everything was a riddle. Why couldn't they just talk plainly?

"It means, you're an idiot."

Eric rested his head against the car. "Okay," he said, trying to remain calm. "What? How does that make me an idiot?"

"Because she loves you and you can't even see it."


	45. 45

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: I wish I owned the characters. Especially Eric...drool Ahem. blinks Did I say that outloud?  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:**Okay Okay! It's here. Yeesh. I didn't know people were going to hound me. :P hehehe. Actually I think I enjoyed that part :D  


Chapter Forty Five

"You've certainly been quiet since you got back from Christmas break," Lane said, treading softly. "You okay?"

_Great. Just great._ "Great," Caitlin breathed, as she unpacked her clothes. "Had a good Christmas."

"I bet y'all did," Maisy chirped happily, as she stuck her head around the corner. "With that handsome Jake on your arm, who wouldn't?" She rolled her eyes and wagged her eyebrows. "He is just the finest young man I've eva set my eyes upon."

"A little crush there, Maisy?" Lane sighed, shaking her head. She planted herself onto Caitlin's bed. "I, on the other hand, had a miserable Christmas, if anyone wants to know."

Caitlin didn't know what she did to make her room 'gab central', but she wished she hadn't. She couldn't expect any less, as her roommates certainly always seemed interested in her love life. "Like I said, it was fine." She hoped they would take the hint.

Maisy settled herself down beside Lane, who was shooing the redhead's attempts to play with her roommate's hair.

Obviously not.

"So, did you see..._him_?" Maisy asked, eyes averted.

"If you're talking about Eric," she said stiffly. "Then yeah."

"Did you give him a piece of your mind?" Lane asked bluntly.

Caitlin remembered the hopeful feeling that hovered in her stomach as she walked away from Eric. Part of her had thought she saw a glimmer of recognition, a moment where Eric finally realized how much she cared; but all of that was forsaken when she heard the roar of the car engine. "He knows how I feel," she stated, slowly putting her clothes on hangers.

"You're bein' awfully mysterious," Maisy said suspiciously. "Are you sure y'all aren't leavin' the details out?"

Caitlin stared at her roommate over her shoulder, who seemed to be waiting expectantly. She didn't say a word. After a long minute, Maisy got the point.

"So it's a new start, you coming back from Montana, right?" asked her other roommate.

"I guess." Caitlin really had no ties now. Nothing to hold her back. She was in New York, her family several states away. "Time to move on," she whispered. "Nothing holding me back."

"That's the spirit," Maisy exclaimed, bouncing on the bed. "In fact, I know a couple of guys who..." Lane elbowed her in the side, as she glared at the redhead.

The only thought that came to mind was that painful kiss back at High River. Caitlin knew there wouldn't be a 'someone' for a long time. It would take a whole lot of effort just to concentrate on her studies. All she had right now was her photography. There wouldn't be room anything else.

>>>

"I can't believe you're sitting her telling me how it 'was for the best'?" Griffin exclaimed irritably. "That's such a bunch of bull crap!"

"It was," Eric nodded, knowing that if he said it enough times it would be true, "really."

"Then how come you haven't even looked at another girl since you've been back?" Griffin raised a skeptical brow. "If you were all gung ho sure that dumping Caitlin was the right thing to do, then you shouldn't have a problem getting back into the dating game," he challenged his best friend. "But you haven't. In fact I've seen you turn down several of the cheerleaders and a couple of the debate team."

Eric raised a brow. "Debate team?"

"Hey," Griffin shrugged his shoulders, "I had no stereotypical category to put the normies in."

"Yeah well," he sighed. "Maybe I'm just weighing my options." Of course that was a lie. He had nothing else on his mind than Caitlin since they left High River. It was crazy. The harder he tried to stop thinking about her, the more she was there.

"Liar."

"Shut up."

"Why don't you just call her?" Griffin offered. "I know she'll hang up on you the first hundred times, but after that, she'll get to the point of just biting your head off."

"Oh won't that just be a barrel of laughs," Eric scoffed. "No thanks. I think I'll keep my head."

"You know that if you don't, everything will just get worse."

"Worse? What are you talking about?"

"There's only so much a team can take, when one of their players aren't pulling their weight."

Eric was totally lost. He had no idea what Griffin was talking about. "I haven't even played this season yet."

"Yes," Griffin nodded awkwardly. "But when you do, do you think your coach is going to like how distracted you are on the field? I mean, it's your typical classic sports movie dilemma."

"Okay, you're losing it," Eric groaned, pushing him over. "Don't you have a computer lab to fiddle with or something?"

"I'm just saying..."

"You're just saying that I belong with Caitlin and we're high school sweethearts that should end up with that happily ever after," he interrupted. "Well I'm here to tell you that isn't us. We broke up. With reason. So stop pushing so hard Griff, because it's hard enough as it is not trying to believe that I was a complete jerkoff for dumping her in the first place. It's hard enough believing that I screwed up the one thing that I wanted more than anything."

Griffin sat there speechless. There was nothing he could say. Helplessly watching his best friend sitting beside him wholly miserable sucked. And there really wasn't anything he could do about it.

>>>

The deafening high pitched ring of the phone startled her from her sleep. Caitlin groaned as she briefly glanced up at her alarm clock. 4 a.m.. Whoever it was, was on crack. Throwing a pillow over her head, she prayed the ringing would stop, or one of her roommates would pick it up. It was probably for them anyways.

The ringing continued.

Obviously her roommates slept like the dead. Groggily, she pulled herself up and flung her body across her bed and fumbled for the cordless phone on the floor. "Who is it?" she said grumpily. "And it better not be some stupid telemarketer because I will find out where you live and hunt you down."

After listening for a minute, there was no answer. Impatient and completely lacking in sleep, Caitlin growled, "Who is this?" She could hear 'someone', but they were not raising their voice to speak. Rubbing her eyes, she sat in her bed staring at the phone. "If you're not going to talk, I'm hanging up on you," she warned, placing the phone to her ear again. "Hello?"

_Oh for pete's sake._ This was the stupidest thing ever. She didn't even know why she was still on the phone. "I'm hanging up now..."

>>>>>>

"I'm hanging up now..."

Eric leaned back against the wall with the receiver resting against his ear. He couldn't sleep. Everytime he closed his eyes he saw her face. So he had phoned her. He had no idea what he wanted to say...He just wanted to hear her voice.

Suddenly he heard the click of the receiver. She had hung up on him.

He had deserved it. As he stood in the pitchblack darkness of the hallway of his dormitory, Eric knew he deserved nothing less. He had made a mistake. There weren't words to describe how big a mistake he had made. But he couldn't think of a way to fix it.

He wasn't Shakespeare...he wasn't even close. How would he find the words to tell Caitlin how badly he screwed up? He finally realized when he was unpacking that he brought all of this upon himself. All of this time he had been telling Caitlin this would never work. He didn't believe that Caitlin would want him once she met the guys out there.

Out there were guys who had traveled the world. They had seen and experienced so much more than he had. They were interested in the things that she was. This is what he kept telling himself, when all the while, Caitlin was trying to tell him that she didn't want that.

He had been so sure. He had been so right. And now where was he?

He had been right, but it cost him her.

So what was the point in being right? when he lost the person he had fallen in love with?


	46. 46

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: I wish I owned the characters. Especially Eric...drool Ahem. blinks Did I say that outloud?  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:**Okay Okay! It's here. Yeesh. I didn't know people were going to hound me. :P hehehe. Actually I think I enjoyed that part :D

**Chapter Forty Six**

"So you're done with this guy?" Lane asked suspiciously.

"Done," Caitlin confirmed with a nod. "Cold turkey. We are over. I said my goodbye over Christmas."

"So you're sure you want to do this?" Maisy asked cautiously, slipping her purse over her shoulder. "Because if you have a sudden change of heart, that would be fine with the both of us."

"I'm sure." Caitlin did a quick double check of her hair and make-up and then faced the two scrutinizing gazes of her roommates, who looked at her like she was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. "What?" she sighed, grabbing her coat. "There's nothing wrong with me going out with you to a dance club."

"Well, certainly feels like it," Lane muttered under her breath.

"Why?" She didn't understand what the whole fuss was about. She had sat around mopping for the past month and a half. It was time she had some fun.

"Well, for one, you _never_ go dancing with us. Two, you've told us explicitly how much you think dance clubs are dumb..."

Caitlin rolled her eyes at Maisy, who didn't seem to catch on that her question was rhetorical. "So I'm trying something new," she said casually. Though part of the reason could have been that she _hadn't_ heard from Eric at all. "Why is that suddenly such a huge deal?"

Maisy opened her mouth to say something, but Lane stopped her. "You wanna go out?" she said, raising an brow. "Fine. We'll go out."

"Finally," Caitlin sighed. "So let's go."

"On one condition," Lane said warily. "That you don't sit in a corner and mope the entire time."

"Does it look like I'm dressed up for a night of moping?" Caitlin spun around in her new red dress. It was slinky, but not too revealing. She saw it in a window earlier that week and on impulse, decided she had to have it.

"No," Maisy smirked. "In fact, you my dahling, look absolutely gorgeous!"

"Well, just cause you have a fancy new dress, doesn't mean you might not be a downer," Lane frowned. "A leopard doesn't change its spots."

"Now who's the downer," said Maisy, in Caitlin's defense. "She looks fabulous, and we're going to paint the town a brilliant crimson."

"Okay," Lane said reluctantly. "Here goes nothing."

Caitlin glanced back at herself in the mirror, as she closed the door behind her. She took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. If she was going to move on - bring some happiness back into her life - she would have to do something about it. _Here goes nothing._

>>>

"Eric, this is ridiculous."

Eric knew he'd be getting a phone call from them sooner or later. Of course, as he held the receiver from his ear, he had wished it would have been later. "Dad," he sighed. His grades had been slipping and the school had informed him that his scholarship was pending, at this point. "I know. I will work everything out."

"This has nothing to do with you doing something about it," his mother interrupted the three-way conversation, "but why it's happening."

"I just need some time to re-adjust after Christmas break," he offered, knowing that it was more than that. Since Caitlin dropped the bomb that Jake was, indeed, not her boyfriend, and that the kiss had been for show, Eric was lost. Everything he had done had come back to haunt him in retrospect. And he had definitely been hit hard with who Caitlin really was. "That's all."

"Don't lie to your mother," Mr. Anderson chided, a hint of empathy trickling in. "Just because we care about your marks and things are messed up right now, doesn't mean we don't care about what's going on. We know that you know how important school is. And we also know that you're not that irresponsible...Well, haven't been for a short while anyways."

"Thanks, Dad," Eric retorted, rolling his eyes at his Dad's semi-successful attempt at a complement.

"We know that it's been hard since your split with Caitlin," Mrs. Anderson said softly. "And we just wanted you to know that you just need to take heart."

"You need to focus, son," his father interrupted. "You won't survive another term like this."

"Dad, I know!" Eric rested his head against his hand, as he sat on the stool in the middle of his dormitory hallway. "Don't you think I know that!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I'm the one going through this. Do you think I like that I'm almost failing most of my classes?"

He knew the pressure he was under. The first to go to college in his family, Eric had felt the pride of both his parents as they saw him off. There was nothing in the world he hated more than disappointing him. But things were hard in college and with the added distraction of knowing what he had done to Caitlin...Nothing seemed to help.

"I know, Eric," Mrs. Anderson said soothingly. "And we understand that. But maybe if you could try to put those things to rest, at least for now?"

"How?" Did his parents even understand? Did they know how much he cared about Caitlin? Whenever he was not in practice and most of the time he was in class, she was there. Even if she wasn't physically there, she was present. He could see her in his mind or hear her voice.

"You do what you have to do." His father's tone was commanding.

"You're a big help," Eric scoffed, shaking his head, staring at the end of the receiver. "Thanks a lot guys."

"Eric," his mother sighed.

"No, really. Guys you've been a big help, but I've got a lot of _studying_ that I have to get back to," he said abruptly. He wasn't in the mood for lectures or cliched comfort phrases. "So I'm going to go now."

"Eric..."

He couldn't listen to any more. He had enough. "Bye," he whispered quickly into the phone before he placed the receiver back on its hook.

_You do what you have to do._

Those words kept ringing in his head as he dragged himself back to his room. Eric didn't know what that meant. Do what you have to do...To him that meant setting things right with Caitlin.

_'So? What are you waiting for?' a little voice demanded._

He stood in the middle of his room, glancing around at the array of books he had splayed all over his bed and his desk. There were labs and several reports due in a couple of weeks that he had yet to research; and of course, he had football - the main reason he was here in the first place.

_So what am I waiting for?_

>>>

"You're planning on doing what?" Griffin looked at Eric in disbelief. "You don't think that's actually going to fly, do you?"

"Griff, you're the optimist in situations like this," Eric said, needing his best friend's support and encouragement at this point in time. "So don't bail on me now."

"How do you think you're going to pull this off?"

"Well, money-wise, I don't know," he frowned, adjusting the backpack strapped onto his shoulders. "But school-wise, we do have a break coming up."

"But you have been doing so bad in school, how did you talk your parents into..."

"They don't know," Eric said slowly, holding up his hand when Griffin was about to object. "But they did sort of give their consent."

"What?" Griffin finally exploded. "What do you mean they 'sort of' gave their consent?"

"They phoned me last night about how I needed to do what I needed to do, to get my studies back on track."

"Well I think they probably meant more of the whole 'studying' bit, than what you're thinking of," Griffin said sarcastically. He loved his best friend, but sometimes the guy had no sense. "I know this is supposed to be some way of apologizing to Caitlin..."

"This is more than apologizing, Griff," Eric sighed, as they entered Math class together. "This is about what you were trying to tell me before...about me feeling more about her than I wanted to admit."

"Why couldn't you have figured this out earlier?" Griffin hissed, trying not to alert the other classmates to their conversation. "You know, at a good time, like when you were face to face with her at Christmas or New Year's?"

"Hey, I figured it out though, didn't I?"

"Well what if she doesn't want to know?"

Eric froze. He locked gazes with his best friend and frowned. "What do you know that I don't?" he asked suspiciously. He had thought about his plan all night long, during his midnight session of finishing off his Lit paper.

Griffin turned away, pulling his text out of his backpack, wanting to avoid the question.

"Griff, what do you know?"

He had tried to tell Caitlin that Eric was stubborn. It would take a couple of weeks for him to figure out how stupid the had been acting and then he would apologize; but she wouldn't hear it. According to her, she had already moved on. Griffin wasn't sure what she had meant by that, but it hadn't sounded good. Especially now that Eric had just had his epiphany.

"Griffin!" Eric grabbed him by the arm and forced Griffin to look at him.

"I-I," he stammered. How did he tell Eric something like this? "She told me that she was done."

"Wh-What?"

"She told me she was moving on," Griffin blurted out, his body tensed, waiting for Eric's reaction.

"She's with someone?" His tone was terse.

"I...I don't know."

"What do you mean?" Eric frowned, staring at his best friend, who should have known how important this was. "She either is or isn't."

"I don't know," he replied uncertainly. "She just said she had moved on, and that she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She didn't say if she was seeing anyone."

"And if she was, would she tell you?"

Griffin thought about that for a moment. He was certain she was. If it was something monumental as deciding to move on and finding someone new...he was certain she would tell him. However, knowing where Eric stood right now, he didn't know if that was something he should divulge to him. "Eric," he sighed, reluctant to say anything. "I..."

"I think she would," Eric said, without allowing him time to answer. "So it's not too late, right?"

Griffin studied Eric's determined expression. He was looking for something to cling to. Was it wrong for him to give him that hope? He had been convinced that Caitlin and Eric belonged together, but right now, everything seemed blurry. "R-Right." Closing his eyes, he prayed that it was the right answer.

"So you'll help me find a way to make this plan work, right Griff?" Eric pulled out his books, as the prof entered the room. "Because I don't think I can pull it off without your help," he whispered, leaning over to Griffin.

"Help?" Griffin glanced anxiously at Eric, who seemed engrossed in what the professor was talking about. Already Eric's 'plan' seemed to give his best friend the ability to focus on his studies. It was like the determination and hope of the plan helped put aside the anxiety and guilt Eric had been carrying since they had returned from Christmas break.

"Yeah, help." Eric nodded, briefly glancing over at Griffin. "You're going to do that, right?"

"Uh, sure," Griffin said uncertainly. "I'll do my best." He prayed that neither Eric or Caitlin would get hurt in the process. And right now, his prayers were more for Eric at this point.


	47. 47

**Spoilers: **After cattle incident and snippets of S2 episodes  
**Disclaimer**: Do I haaaaave to? Fine. NO. I DON't own these characters. Harumph. Happy now?  
**Pairings**: Caitlin and Eric  
**Author's notes:**People are still waiting on this one? Hehe...

**Chapter Forty Seven**

"Jake, would you quit that?" Caitlin shouted out of annoyance than anything. She fended off his hands, as they managed to find every ticklish spot on her body.

"Quit what?" he asked, his focus solely on the mission at hand, making her laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about." He chuckled as she continued to squirm under his expert touch. "I mean it!" she laughed, out of breath. "I can't...I can't breathe." There was a knock at the door. Jake paused his attack at the sound, and Caitlin used the opportunity to try to escape. However, his hands were quicker and they pinned her down, and continued their assault. "Jake, I have to get that," she gasped between laughs. "It's our pizza."

"No problem," Jake replied without a thought. "Hey, Lane, can you get that? Our pizza's here!"

"I'll get it!" Maisy exclaimed, rushing around the corner, wearing a pair of silk pajamas. "I'm stah-ving!"

Caitlin glared at Jake. He wasn't tickling so hard that it hurt, but there was only so much tickling a girl could take. "No, I'll get it!" she protested. But with Jake almost sprawled on top of her, it was kind of hard to refuse.

"No, I'll..." Maisy stopped mid-sentence to take note of the display. Then without so much as a word, she went to the apartment door. "Now, who is it?" she asked with her southern drawl. "State your name and your purpose for being here."

Caitlin had to laugh at her roommate. She did it everytime she answered the door. Even though the door had a peephole and most of the time, it was the people they had invited over, she insisted that the people they opened their door to announce themselves. Apparently it was something her father insisted she do. "Just answer the door," she breathed, pushing away Jake's hands. "It's our pizza. And I thought you were staaaahving?"

Maisy's brow furrowed a moment and then, without a second thought, she unlatched the chain and swung the door open.

All that Caitlin heard was a sharp gasp, a little too distracted with keeping Jake's hands off her sides. Glancing over top of Jake's broad shoulders, she saw the reason for Maisy's sudden loss of words. "Eric?"

>>>

He somehow managed to scrounge up enough cash to purchase a plane ticket to New York, not an easy feat, as he depended on the kindness of his dorm brothers and a couple of new friends he had made at U of M. Eric had never felt so excited and scared at the same time. He didn't think it was possible. He had managed to get through most of his classes without failing miserably. This kept his parents happy, so when he announced to them that he wouldn't be coming home for spring break, they didn't seem to mind so much. In fact, they even chipped in for the plane ride to New York, of course, unbeknowst to them.

The flight was fine. He didn't have much trouble. It was actually over faster than he imagined it would be. However, trying to catch a taxi at the terminal was a different thing. The people in this city were viscious. He swore an old lady nearly tackled him for the taxi that pulled up in front of both of them.

Griffin had come through for him, giving him Caitlin's apartment address. He did have it at one time, but he had foolishly thrown it away when he broke up with her. And now he stood on her doorstep.

What he saw really wasn't what he expected their first meeting since Christmas to be like. It wasn't even close. He had played the scenario over and over in his head and what he saw wasn't it.

When he was waiting for someone to answer, he could definitely hear her voice - to be more exact, her laughter through the oddly-painted green door. He saw the face of a chirpy red-head...and then _them_. Jake and Caitlin were obviously together.

The guy was practically mauling her when they managed to tear themselves away from what they were doing, and Caitlin finally noticed he was at her door.

"Eric?"

That's all she had to say. She didn't even budge. She certainly didn't push the guy who was lying on top of her away. "Surprise!" he said rather lack-lustry.

He had planned to surprise her; but in the end, it would have seemed that he was in for the surprise.

"Do you know this stranger?" Maisy frowned, looking at the rather short boy on their doorstep.

"Hey, is that our pizza?" Lane bellowed, turning the corner from the hallway with her head buried in a book. Tearing her head from the novel, she found the whole room silent and a b-boy dressed wanna-be at their door. "So where's the pizza?"

"Uh," Caitlin breathed, sliding up from underneath Jake, as he tried to extricate himself from on top of her. "Yeah, this isn't the pizza boy." Her heart was pounding, as she straightened her clothes and stood up from the couch. She couldn't even look at him - it was that awkward. "Guys, uh, this is Eric."

When she said it, the words still didn't seem to compute in her mind. _Why is Eric here? Why the hell didn't Griffin warn her that he was coming?_

"E-Eric?" Lane nodded somewhat awkwardly. By the way Caitlin was acting, she knew it was 'the' Eric. Glancing briefly over at Jake, who seeemed to have let himself fade in the background, she also deduced that the earlier tickling scene she had walked out on may have been ongoing when this Eric guy arrived on their doorstep. _Nice_.

"Eric? THE Eric? This is the same Eric you were going out with?" Maisy asked bluntly, wagging her finger at blonde guy standing beside her.

Lane groaned inwardly. _Leave it to Maisy..._

Eric had never felt this awkward in his life. He wished he had never come. This was worse than any nightmare he could have had. "Uh, yeah," he said, clearing his voice. "That _would_ be me." Shuffling his feet, he wondered if he should just hop on the next flight out of this place. Caitlin's expression was less than welcoming.

"Um," Lane raised a curious brow, glancing at the unmoving bodies, "do you want to come in?" She didn't know if that was what her roommate wanted, but she couldn't stand the cliched 'enter ex-boyfriend' scene. It squeaked her out.

"Uh, yeah," Caitlin quickly mumbled. "Come in."

"Maybe I should just go?" Eric was in a room full of strangers, whose eyes seemed to be fixed upon him. Yeah, this was where he wanted to be.

"Uh, no!" she exclaimed, her head jerking up at the offer. "Come in." Caitlin had been trying to register what was exactly happening. It took a few moments for her to realize that Eric was really standing in her apartment. It wasn't a figment of her imagination.

"No, you've got company and stuff..." It was a lame excuse, but all he wanted to do was to get the hell out of there. Seeing Jake and Caitlin like that...it turned his stomach.

"Uh, no, really," Jake interrupted, finally entering the conversation. "I was actually...uh, I was actually just leaving." Eric watched as the guy stood up from the couch, smiling at Caitlin and placing his hand briefly upon her back. He then proceeded to walk towards him, extending his hand out to Eric.

"It's good to see you again."

Hesitant, Eric took his hand and shook it. _I'm not going to be petty. I'm not going to be petty_. "Yeah, same," he coughed. "Jer...I mean, Jake, right?"

"Yeah," Jake said, smiling. Or in Eric's opinion, more of a grimace.

Caitlin watched the tense exchange, as she tried to regain her composure in the face of Eric's arrival. "Thanks for coming over," she blurted out. "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure." Jake gave a nod and a wave before squeezing past Eric and disappearing into the night.

"So, I'm Maisy," the red-head held out her hand, "one of Caitlin's roommates."

"Uh right," Caitlin said, smiling briefly. "Sorry. Lane and Maisy, this is Eric. Eric," she pointed to petite Asian and fair red-head, "Lane and Maisy."

"Right," he said, plastering a smile on his face. He waved weakly. "Hi!"

"Well, I'm sure you and Caitlin have a lot to catch up on," Lane said, her gaze locking with Caitlin. "Maisy and I will get out of your way."

"B-But we...we just met him," Maisy pouted. "And what about our pizza?" She smiled politely at the boy in front of her. "We just ordered pizza and when I opened the door I thought for sure that it was..."

"Maisy!" Lane tried to sound less curt, but there was no way around it. _Besides,_ she thought, _he'd find that out about her sooner or later_.

The red-head glared at her. "It was nice to meet you, Eric," she drawled. "Maybe we'll talk more in the morning?" With that Maisy stomped past her bossy roommate.

"I'll call you when the pizza get here, Maisy," Caitlin bellowed, feeling bad for her friend. She knew that Maisy was just curious about Eric's sudden arrival.

"Talk to you guys later," Lane said, waving to Eric. While passing Caitlin, she mouthed 'sorry', her finger pointing towards the hallway that Maisy had stalked down.

Caitlin smiled gratefully at her more subtle roommate, before turning to the...What did she call it? A problem? Situation? Taking a deep breath, she smiled weakly, "Hi."

"Hi," Eric breathed, closing the door behind him. "It's good to see you."

>>>

_Good to see me. He thinks it's good to see me_. Caitlin really didn't know what to do with those words. Here she was, standing in front of a guy she had thought she could possibly be with forever, and he's telling her it's good to see her? "Wow," she said, running her hands through her hair. "W-What are you doing here, Eric?"

"What? No, 'good to see you, Eric'?" he asked softly, unloading his backpack onto the ground.

"You know what?" she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "No. No, you don't get that."

"I deserve that," he swallowed, lowering his head. "I know I acted like a total jerk..."

"And I'm supposed to care now, why?" A sudden wave of anger flooded over her. She had moved on. She had chosen to put away the feelings she had allowed herself to develop for him. _And now he's standing at my doorstep_? Where had he been when she dreamed he would sweep her off her feet and tell her he had been wrong to break up with her? Where had he been four months ago?

"I screwed up. I screwed up majorly. I don't know how to say it in any other words," he admitted weakly. "I don't know what it was, Caitlin. We were apart and it felt like day by day we were growing farther apart."

"So you dump me?"

Eric knew everything out of his mouth sounded lame. Maybe it was even a mute cause. From the looks of everything, she had moved on with Jake. But even if it was true, he couldn't let their friendship die because of his stupidity. He realized that now. "I was jealous," he breathed. "I know it's no excuse, but when you told me you kissed another guy..."

"He kissed me," she corrected him tersely. "_He_ kissed _me_."

"Right." Eric knew, as she stared at him coldly, that she wasn't going to make this easy. He was the one who had let her down. In storm of doubt, he was the one who had screwed things up, not Caitlin. "You're right."

"Okay, so you've apologized," Caitlin blurted out, folding her arms across her chest. "Is that what you wanted to do? You fly out here to New York to do something you could have done over the phone?"

Eric opened his mouth, and then shut it. How was he supposed to answer this question? He had planned on professing his love and now he didn't know where he stood with her. Not that he knew where he stood with her when he got on the plane. It was then that the memory of Griffin's less than enthusastic attitude towards his trip to New York came to mind. _He knew. He knew that she was dating someone else._

"Eric, are you going to answer me?" Seeing him again, Caitlin did not know what kind of maelstrom it would wreak. But as he stood here, she knew there were lingering remmants of feelings for the guy. There were so many good memories...mixed in with the bad.

"Look, I'm sorry," he answered, giving the only answer he could. "I shouldn't have come. I should have done this over the phone." _Then maybe I wouldn't have made a complete idiot of myself_ "I shouldn't have turned your whole world upside down by showing up on your doorstep."

"Why?" Her voice cracked. The anger suddenly vanished. All she wanted to know was why he here. Why had he come to New York. It was like something you'd expect out of some cheesy Hollywood movie. "Since when did you begin to play games with people, Eric?"

"I'm not," he exclaimed, moving closer to her. She still was beautiful. During all of the awkwardness, Eric hadn't been able to truly look at her. But as they stood here alone, he was able to really 'look' at her. She had lost some weight, which seemed like an oxymoron as a first year college student. Her hair had grown since Christmas, as well. "Caitlin, I don't want to play games."

"Then, why are you here?" she breathed, turning away from him. "I don't understand why you're here."

"Because," he reached out to grasp her hand, "because..." What was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to say it?

His touch still sent a shiver down her spine. She didn't want it to, but it still did. _Oh God, why do I still care?_ Suddenly the familiar scent of soap and musk filled her senses. "Because what?" Caitlin took a deep breath before turning to face him. Their eyes met and it was as if time stopped. He was the same Eric, with a wry grin always lurking beneath the surface, ready to appear whenever she became too serious. He was the same boy she had hated at first sight, but forged a strange and unique friendship with under trial. He was Eric, the boy she thought she had fallen in love with.

"I came down here to tell you that I love you, Caitlin," he breathed. The words came out easier and faster than he thought possible. Being near to her, her hand in his - it felt right. "I came here to tell you that I want you back."

Without another word, he pulled her into him, causing her to brace herself with her hands against his chest. His eyes searched hers, telling her a story of turmoil, and also revealed the desire that remained hidden beneath. Caitlin could feel her heart pounding against her chest, and his as well, beating in sync with each. Her lips parted, as she tried to think of how to reply, but there were no words. His hand slipped underneath her hair, pulling her head closer to his, as he listened to as her breath became suddenly shallow. Swallowing hard, she felt his lips press against hers. The pressure was light at first. His warm soft lips brushed against hers. The sensation made her heart leap. Her hands slipped around his neck, drawing his body closer to hers. Electricity coarsed through both of their bodies, as they held each other in a tight embrace.

"Caitlin," he breathed, breaking their kiss. The guilt lingered, knowing how he must have hurt her. His heart was empty without her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

With the back of her hand, she caressed his cheek, gazing into his clear blue eyes. She had missed that. She had missed him. And when he arrived, Caitlin hadn't wanted to see him. She hated him for what he did to her. But when he stood there, confessing how he had messed up and how sorry he was...When he told her that he _loved_ her, and kissed her with such tenderness, Caitlin knew she hadn't forgotten him. She knew that couldn't forget him. It wouldn't happen in a million years because she loved him too. "I know," she whispered into his ear, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Caitlin, I just got so mixed up. I was scared and mixed up. I was too confused to..."

"I know," she breathed, pulling back slightly to look meet his gaze. For months she had tried to forget him. She had tried to push him out of her mind, but found herself failing miserably. And here he was... "I can't believe you flew all the way here to New York!" She laughed, suddenly realizing what measures Eric had taken to speak with her.

"Uh, yeah," he chuckled. "About that. Ex-nae to the parentae."

"Yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "How did I know that was coming?"

"So," Eric breathed, licking his lips. It felt like they were back together...Were they back together? _What about the other guy_? "Uh, what about...the other guy?"

Caitlin frowned. "What?"

"Jake? The guy who you were making out with before I got here?"

_Her and Jake_? Caitlin laughed out loud. "You think Jake and I...are dating?"

"That's what it looked like," he said flustered. "Isn't that what you and he are doing?"

"No!" They had discussed it, but both felt that it just would never work.

"Well, then you've gone to just making out with friends?" he said in bewilderment.

"No!" she exclaimed, glaring at him.

"Then..." He wanted to know. Eric knew he didn't have a right to ask, since they really hadn't decided they were even together again. But the images of the guy sprawled on top of her...

"He was tickling me, and it got a little out of hand," she admitted, blushing. "But we weren't 'doing' anything."

"Not that it really is any of my business," he said offhandedly. "I mean, I know I broke up with you and if you found another guy..."

"You must think you're pretty forgettable," Caitlin laughed softly, not believing what she was seeing. Eric had always been so confident, but to see him miserable, wondering whether she had moved on really was an eye opener.

He shrugged. "Hey, it's understandable if guys might want to move in on you."

"Can I tell you something?" she whispered, leaning in, resting her forehead against his. "You're not that forgettable." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she drew him into a long, deep kiss - happier than she had been in months.


End file.
